Airport, Dispur among high-risk sites

Guwahati: Guwahati city and all other districts of Assam have been identified as high seismic zone, while, the Vulnerability Atlas of India prepared by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council also termed the entire State as a high-damage risk area. According to a report tabled in the State Assembly recently by the Relief and Disaster Management Minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman, a study by the Science and Technology Department of the Assam Government identified certain areas of Guwahati including Azara, Behartoli, Tetelia, Mirzapur, Airport, Gauhati University, Dispur, Rehabari, Chatribari etc as high risk damage zones. The report said that the eastern side of the city is considered to be a low risk damage zone by the study. However, he said that such studies are yet to be conducted in other parts of the State.
The report said that in view of the damages that an earthquake might cause to the city, certain measures have been initiated to mitigate the damages. The Guwahati Development Department has already amended the Guwahati master plan to inproduceland use zoning regulation, while, the Town and Country Planning Department has been directed to amend the Town and Country Planning Act to introduce such methods in other towns of the state to mitigate the damages.
All the Deputy Commissioners and Sub Divisional Officers have been directed to assess the possible damages in case of a major earthquake in their respective areas and to prepare detailed schemes to deal with any such eventuality.
13/01/09 Assam Tribune

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Categories: Airports Jan 2009, Safety Jan 2009