“Earthquakes don’t kill, the quality of construction does.” This statement by V Suresh, vice chairman of the National Building Code of India 2015 is extremely apt. In the light of the fear that the devastating Nepal earthquake has raised in the minds of property users across India, I thought it would be a good idea to address this concern of users and buyers. Consumers remember and fear earthquakes when one has occurred. We have seen this in the aftermath of the Latur, Uttarkashi and Bhuj earthquakes.
While withstanding a high seismic magnitude shock is always a challenge, there are many ways in which you can ensure that the house you buy is as safe as possible. As an aware consumer it is important to understand that you are well within your rights to ask for seismic safety. The National Building Code, a guideline document prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards has laid down detailed guidelines for safety of built structures during an earthquake. These need to be incorporated in Building byelaws of cities so that architects and developers in the city are mandated to adhere to these.
Magicbricks has been talking to a series of seismic experts, planners and various other stakeholders to help users assess how safe they are when it comes to quake and your city. The statistics are alarming. An expert assesses that 70 per cent of the Delhi NCR is not built to withstand high intensity quakes. With city authorities unable to check rampant overbuilding, mostly unengineered, quakes are likely to be great levelers. However, the good news is that retrofitting or improvements to structures post construction can ensure safety of structures, especially in cities like Kolkata or Mumbai where the buildings are over 50-80 years old. You need a structural engineer to assess the property before being able to assess the need for retrofitting.
However, if you are buying property in your city, make sure you ask the right questions to your developer. Credai President Getamber Anand has assured that after the Bhuj earthquake, the revised BIS code 1893 is applicable for safety of building up to 30 storeys. As a consumer all you have to do is to ask the developer whether the standard is being adhered to.
The good news is that we have good standards in the country. The bad news is that Indian cities, such as Delhi and Mumbai, are in seismic zones 4 and above. The other bit of bad news is that we have not been terribly bothered as a country about implementing safety standards. The Delhi government’s announcement that buildings will be surveyed for safety is a welcome move. But as citizens and consumers we need to be more aware as well.
Magicbricks has been publishing a series of articles on seismic safety. Watch this space over the weekend, when we pan out across the country and bring the views and reactions of experts from across sectors to allay needless fears and inform citizens about what they can do as users groups to ensure their own safety when the ground shakes. After all the mighty Himalayan heave and over 80 aftershocks have been a warning to cities across the subcontinent that they cannot take their safety for granted.
SOURCE: Magicbricks
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