Deccan Chronicle        13.01.2011

1 in 3 Chennai buildings vulnerable to earthquake

January 13th, 2011

Jan. 12: Are you one of the residents staying in a huge
apartment complex? Do you know that about 30 per cent of multi-storeyed
buildings in the city are vulnerable to earthquakes of even small
magnitude?

Chennai has been placed in Zone 3 category among cities
vulnerable to earthquakes by the Bureau of Indian Standards since 2001.
This means that the city is most vulnerable to moderate earthquakes at
any point of time.

“Most buildings in the city, constructed prior to 2001, do
not meet the parameters prescribed for Zone 3 areas. So, even
relatively moderate earthquakes could cause huge disasters,” warns prof
S. Rajarathnam, director of centre for disaster mitigation and
management (CDMM), Anna University.

The centre, in association with various government bodies,
has been surveying the entire city. “We employed rapid visual screening
method to quickly assess the buildings in the city. Our findings are
disturbing because of the inherent weakness of a number of buildings,”
explains prof Rajarathnam.

However, if anyone in the public is interested in
assessing the quake resistance of their buildings, the centre is willing
to undertake an inspection. Prof A.R. Santha Kumar, consultant to CDMM
and former dean of Anna University, said a team of experts has examined
all government buildings in Chennai and remedial measures have been
recommended. “We have also completed the screening of all buildings with
more than four floors,” he said.

The centre is also in the process of making a Geographical
Information System (GIS)-based map on vulnerability assessment of
disasters in Chennai with the help of government agencies. “We will be
ready with such a map in the next 18 months. The map will outline
life-saving techniques such as possible escape routes and shelter areas
associated with all buildings in the eventuality of an earthquake,” he
said.