500 engineers, architects trained to raise earthquake resistant structures

Tahir Mushtaq


JAMMU, Nov 29: Although Jammu and Kashmir still does not have any law making it compulsory to construct earthquake resistant buildings, the state disaster management cell constituted after the 2005 disaster has so far trained about 500 engineers and architects in construction of quake resistant structures. 


According to the officials the cell is now making plans to impart training to masons and construction workers on district basis so that they could use their expertise on the field particularly in rural areas.

Amir Ali, project coordinator of the cell said, “Still we have lot to do, but before 2005 we had no experience in disaster management, but we are learning now”. 


According to the officials all the people were trained with the assistance of National Institute of Disaster Management, Ahmedhabad and other national institutions. 


It is pertinent  to mention here that on October 8, 2005 a powerful earthquake had struck the Jammu and Kashmir including the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), leaving about 1400 dead in J&K and around 70,000 dead in PoK and destroying thousands of structures. The cell was established after the killer quake both in Kashmir valley and Jammu region to coordinate the disaster management work in future. 


Ali said, “On technical front we are still not upto the mark but we are investing in technical as well as human resources so that we may not have to face the situation similar to 2005”.  


He said that the Disaster Management cell has also launched a ‘techno-legal Regime’ so to amend the building law to enforce construction of earthquake resistant structures. “So far there is no such law to enforce people to construct earthquake resistant structures and this technical legal regime was introduced to emend existing laws”, he said. 


Government has already issued order in March this year making it compulsory for all government departments to construct new buildings according to the quake resistant structures.  


Officials said that the cell will also conduct a training programme for doctors on disaster preparedness in which 50 doctors including 15 from Jammu region would be trained. 


The area of concern for the government and other agencies are the rural and far-flung areas of the state were lack of resources and modern building plans are still not been implemented. The cell has also approached the respective District Commissioners to nominate engineers and other technical staff so that they could be imparted training.