To mitigate human and economic losses from earthquakes in the highly seismically sensitive state of Uttarakhand, the government will be taking significant steps forward. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) is set to sign a detailed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various scientific institutions to spearhead this effort.
These instructions were issued by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan during a meeting at the Secretariat on Friday, which focused on earthquake risk assessment and mitigation. He emphasised that a large portion of Uttarakhand falls under seismic Zone-V, making it crucial to create a formal, safety-driven environment. Following the signing of the MoU, the participating institutions will be assigned specific responsibilities.
Mr Bardhan outlined potential roles, suggesting that IIT Roorkee could work on earthquake risk assessment and mitigation, while an MoU with CBRI Roorkee should be pursued to focus on earthquake-resistant building standards. He also noted the ongoing work by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology on the state's glacial lakes.
Emphasis On Public Awareness
The Chief Secretary also stressed the need to make the public more aware of earthquake safety. To this end, he called for a specific day to be designated as Earthquake Awareness Day, which would be observed regularly with mock drills and other public information campaigns.
The meeting was attended by Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, Additional Secretary Anand Swaroop, and scientists from IIT Roorkee, the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and CBRI Roorkee.