EARTHQUAKE SAFETY POLICY OF INDIA – A PROPOSAL

ABSTRACT

Nine earthquakes of magnitude greater than 6 in the country since 1988 and the
colossal loss of life and property in these earthquakes, have given clear indications that it is
time to embark on a mission towards launching a comprehensive seismic safety agenda for
ensuring protection to the people and the built environment of the nation. A seismic safety
policy document must be articulated at the national level by the Government of India to unite
the people of the country into a single thought in this direction. A comprehensive framework
incorporating the relevant issues is presented, along with details of the measures that state
governments need to take note of.

1. Basics of Earthquake Disaster Management

India stands at the cross-roads of a serious crisis—the risk against potentially damaging
earthquakes. Over 60% of India’s land area is under threat of moderate to severe seismic hazard,
and the current level of preparedness in the country is abysmally low as clearly demonstrated by
the huge loss of life and property during and in the aftermath of nine (M>6) earthquake strikes that
affected the country in the past 17 years. The earthquake problem of India is grave (Jain, 2005).
The situation requires all the stakeholders to understand this problem and participate in the effort
to reduce the risk against earthquakes. The performance of a community depends on three
aspects, namely (a) where the community is located and the prevalent level of earthquake hazard
there, (b) the earthquake vulnerability of the built environment that the community occupies and is
served by, and (c) the degree of functioning of critical facilities and essential services required in
the aftermath of an earthquake (Figure 1).

Earthquake Performance of a COMMUNITY

Figure 1: Determinants for Community Earthquake Performance

The earthquake-resistant design issue can be quite complex in civil engineering structures, which
are large, unique one-of-a-kind, and expensive (Figure 2). Here, the demands on the built
environment to respond effectively to earthquakes are not clearly quantifiable, and the time-frame
for design and construction is tight. Thus, seeking perfect answers to this complex problem may
not be pragmatic. One needs to progress with the expertise and knowledge available, but be
committed to continuous updating on an ongoing and priority basis.
 (a) (b)
Figure 2: Contrasting design challenges in two scenarios: (a) buildings —complex problem
requiring tailor made solutions, on a case to case basis, and (b) cars and aircrafts —relatively
well-defined problem that can be solved within a routine format.

Since the earthquake problem affects virtually everyone and everything on the land, one
needs to have policies to protect communities to effectively face earthquake disasters. A three-
level action plan needs to be developed and operationalized to address earthquake safety issues
of the country. The three levels are (a) application of available international knowledge, (b) imbibe
available international knowledge and customize the same for application to the problem at hand,
and (c) generate new knowledge to address the problems specific to the country. The
effectiveness of these three approaches in improving the nation’s preparedness is ~70-75%, ~15-
20% and ~5-10% respectively (Figure 3). India can gain significantly by urgently implementing
internationally available knowledge on seismic safety and preparedness.

Figure 3: Relative effectiveness of the three modes of action towards maximizing mitigation and
preparedness strategies.
 India will continue to face earthquakes and each earthquake will offer another opportunity
to become that much more prepared. A typical earthquake-cycle has six elements to it divided into
two groups (Figure 4) — pre- and post- earthquake activities. The former includes prevention,
mitigation and preparedness, while the latter consists of emergency rescue & relief, rehabilitation
and reconstruction. These terms are defined below for clarity:

(a) Prevention: It involves undertaking measures towards avoidance of an earthquake disaster by

effective utilisation of available information on seismic hazard. For already developed areas,
effective land-use planning seems to be the only course of action but that would be applicable
only in the case of newer developments;

(b) Mitigation: It involves reducing vulnerability of the built environment by applying earthquake
resistant design principles and detailing to the new structures and conducting seismic
evaluation and necessary strengthening for existing structures;

(c) Preparedness: It involves conducting advance activities (including developing plans and
rehearsing through mock drills) with the communities and stake-holders to help them respond
efficiently in the aftermath of an earthquake;

(d) Emergency Response and Relief: It involves the activities to be undertaken by the government
and other stake-holders in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake, in the form of moving the
affected persons to safer locations (especially women and children) and offering them food
and medical attention, and conducting search and rescue for the missing;

(e) Rehabilitation: It involves (1) providing temporary shelters to the affected, restoring “normalcy”
through ensuring resumption of familiar daily living patterns (such as schooling for children,
and involving men and women in activities they can identify with even while in temporary
shelters), ensuring basic civic amenities, and offering livelihood opportunities to those who lost
their livelihood, after the emergency response and relief phase is completed; and (2) providing
counselling for those suffering from trauma.

(f) Reconstruction: It involves developing improved civic infrastructure, building permanent

shelters and homes, and striving for higher technical standards for future compliance.

Prevention is not viable because of the nature of the earthquake problem, post-earthquake
measures are mandatory and cannot be affected without efficient discharge of the mitigation and
preparedness activities. Thus, the success of a community in negotiating the earthquake cycle
(Figure 4) critically rests on the effectiveness of the mitigation and preparedness initiatives it has
taken (Figure 5).
Figure 4: The Earthquake Cycle: Communities will survive only when Mitigation and
Preparedness are taken seriously.

Figure 5: The Cross-Roads of Earthquake Safety: The clear choice across the world is becoming
obvious – invest before and therefore build preparedness.

2. Earthquake Safety Policy Statement

“The Government of India shall provide leadership to take the country towards the
development of earthquake-safe built environment by institutionalising initiatives and activities
based on scientific and technological strategies, covering pre-earthquake aspects (of Prevention,
Mitigation, and Preparedness) and post-earthquake aspects (of Emergency Response & Relief,
Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction), and thereby develop a national community that is informed &
prepared to face damaging earthquakes in future with minimal loss of life and property.”

The above policy statement, when converted to action points will include awareness and
education, legal and technical frameworks, enforcement rules, and implementation plans.
Considering the prevalent practices in the country today, the critical step in India seems to be
developing and enforcing regulations that target earthquake safety.
3. National Earthquake Disaster Management

The Government of India has constituted an apex body, called the National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA), and charged it with the responsibility of handling the matters of
seismic safety of the country along with those of safety during all other natural and man-made
disasters. The NDMA is chaired by the Prime Minister of India, and has a core-group of 6
members. The Government of India has also mandated the formation of the apex bodies in each
of the states of India to handle disasters at the state level, and called them the State Disaster
Management Authorities (DMAs).

The responsibilities of the NDMA include developing macro policies that are uniformly
applicable to all states of the country in consultation with the states, while the State DMAs will, in
addition to implementing these macro policies, also develop the required micro policies in
consultation (whenever required) with the NDMA to implement the strategies for disaster
management (Figure 6).

Figure 6: The NDMA-State DMAs Partnerships: The two sets of agencies need to forge a
mutually-reciprocal relationship to effectively implement the national earthquake safety policy.

For the successful implementation of the disaster management policies of the country, both
the NDMA and the State DMAs need to adopt a professional approach. The activities need to be
taken up in project mode with separate budget (both plan and non-plan) for each activity. Further,
both the NDMA and the State DMAs need to designate Officers solely in-charge of earthquake
safety matters. Bureaucrats holding parallel charge of seismic safety aspects along with other
activities cannot give the required attention. Disaster management cannot be a part-time agenda
for either the Central or State Governments; hence assigning bureaucrats with sole charge of this
critical issue is a necessary first step towards recognizing the enormity and criticality of the
problem and in ensuring effective implementation of the policies. In addition, the officer in-charge
of seismic safety aspects at both the NDMA and state DMAs should have a reasonable term of
office; this has been observed as one of the major stumbling blocks in getting bureaucrats to give
their best and do justice to the office and responsibilities they are holding.

Initially, the NDMA can set modest goals with clear time targets for all items, achieve them,
build confidence in itself and in the system that is steering and working with. If NDMA can place
earthquake safety on a slow-upward ramp, that will indeed be a great beginning for the nation,
because earthquakes affect each one of us…
 Since the 2001 Bhuj earthquake, some Ministries of the Government of India have initiated
activities that are part of the national seismic safety agenda, e.g., the UNDP Disaster Risk
Management Programme. Coordination between these Ministries is essential to learn and build
from the momentum gained so far. The following sections provide details on the broad focus areas
of the implementation of the Seismic Safety Policy of India at a State level. The issues are
explained with the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi as a representative example.

4. Seismic Safety Policy of the State of NCT of Delhi

(Implementing Agencies: Government of NCT of Delhi and DDMA)

4.1 Seismic Safety Policy

“The Government of the State of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi will provide
leadership to take the National Capital Territory of Delhi towards the development of earthquake-
safe built environment, by institutionalising pre-earthquake (i.e., Prevention, Mitigation, and
Preparedness) and post-earthquake (i.e., Emergency Response & Relief, Rehabilitation, and
Reconstruction) initiatives and activities of the State based on scientific & technological strategies,
and thereby developing a community that is informed & prepared to face damaging earthquakes in
future with minimum loss of life & property. This seismic policy includes awareness generation,
legal and technical framework development (including licensing of engineers and certification of
artisans), enforcement rules, and implementation plans.”

This seismic safety policy of the Government of the State of NCT of Delhi will be
implemented by a nodal agency, namely the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)
through structural and non-structural measures. While the former includes infrastructure planning
in all departments & sectors, and earthquake-resistant design of all public & private structures, the
latter includes initiating awareness among all stakeholders, and steering capacity building of
communities & technologists.

The policies, initiatives and activities of the DDMA will address with equality all stake-
holders involved in the development, management and maintenance at all scales of the built
environment. The policies will be technology friendly, and not biased towards any one stake-holder
(e.g., a builder or a developer). This will be achieved through strict compliance with the policies in
existence and the new policies to be proposed. Furthermore, as an example of confidence building
to the common man and as a measure of demonstrating the feasibility of implementing the norms
set by the DDMA, 100% compliance will be ensured in all government-owned/ government-steered
projects in the State of NCT of Delhi. Seismic safety will be addressed and emphasized in both
technical and non-technical preparedness measures.

The Government of NCT of Delhi will ensure effective implementation of this Seismic
Safety Policy, through the total commitment of its policy makers. In the ideal situations, the policy
makers will proactively take ownership of and responsibility for the seismic safety policy, and steer
it as their own agenda.

4.2 Implementation of Seismic Safety Policy

The seismic safety policy of the Government of NCT of Delhi stated above will be
implemented through five broad focus areas, namely (a) community awareness and preparedness,
(b) technical education, (c) regulation and implementation, (d) seismic design of new structures,
and (e) seismic strengthening of existing structures. The following sections identify the broad items
of the seismic safety policy of the Government under these five broad focus areas.

4.2.1 Community Awareness and Preparedness

(a) Awareness campaigns will be undertaken on (i) personal safety during earthquakes, (ii) public
preparedness before earthquakes, and (iii) the “best practices” of earthquake-resistant
 constructions. These campaigns will target all stake-holders.

(b) Programmes will be developed and mock drills undertaken to build capacity in schools,
hospitals and other public facilities/agencies to face the aftermath of earthquakes. Lessons
drawn from these mock drills will be documented and corrective measures implemented in
subsequent mock drills.

(c) The State will put in place a disaster management system and provide the necessary
structures and budget to run the same efficiently. This will not only clarify the chain of
command with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for various individuals, but also help
identify and garner the available resources for effective utilization.

(d) The Control Room of the DDMA will be made fully functional with all supporting infrastructure
within the next 6 months and the same shall be maintained in fully operational state to address
the emergency needs of the State as and when a need arises.

(e) Volunteer groups will be sourced from the community, coordinated and provided necessary
support to develop expertise in each discipline of disaster management.

4.2.2 Technical Education

(a) Training of existing personnel will be undertaken as an ongoing exercise. The first phase of
training of all government architects and engineers of the State of NCT of Delhi will be
completed in three years. The architects and engineers of all relevant government
departments of the State of NCT of Delhi will be trained in earthquake-resistant design and
construction. In particular, the design directorates, if any, of these departments will have
architects and engineers with seismic design background. Significant advantage can be gained
by leveraging the ongoing National Programme on Capacity Building of Engineers for
Earthquake Risk Management (NPCBEERM) and National Programme on Capacity Building
of Architects for Earthquake Risk Management (NPCBAERM) of the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India.

(b) Teachers of engineering and architecture colleges (at both degree and diploma levels) of the
State NCT of Delhi will be trained in the subject of earthquake engineering within next five
years in a phased manner. Significant advantage may be gained by leveraging the ongoing
National Programme on Earthquake Engineering Education (NPEEE) of the Ministry of Human
Resource Development, Government of India.

(c) The academic curriculum of architecture and engineering colleges will be developed to include
components of earthquake resistant design and construction, and implemented in the next
three years.

(d) A comprehensive capacity building exercise will be undertaken to upgrade the reading libraries
and experimental laboratories of the academic technical institutes and universities of
engineering and architecture.

(e) Good practices as enumerated in the Indian Standards will be disseminated through the
professional organizations such as Institution of Engineers (India) and Indian Institute of
Architects.

(f) Centers of excellence will be encouraged with a mission and mandate to pursue cutting edge
knowledge in seismic safety and preparedness.

4.2.3 Regulation and Implementation

(a) A legal framework for ensuring compliance of safe engineering design and construction
practices will be put in place within a year.
(b) A techno-legal framework for the State of NCT of Delhi will be put in place by the Government
of NCT of Delhi within a year for licensing of engineers involved in the construction industry.

(c) A techno-legal framework for the State of NCT of Delhi will be put in place by the Government
of NCT of Delhi within a year for certification of artisans involved in the construction industry.

(d) The Government of NCT of Delhi will revise the bye-laws within 6 months and review the same
once every two years.

(e) The urban local bodies will be equipped with qualified architects and engineers to scrutinize
the building plans and structural drawings submitted for approval. These persons will be
trained specifically in proof-checking for seismic compliance.

4.2.4 Seismic Design of New Structures

(a) The Government of NCT of Delhi will conduct seismic risk assessment and evaluation.

(b) All new constructions will be earthquake-resistant, and will be certified for seismic safety by a
government or government-nominated agency.

(c) The Government of NCT of Delhi will develop mechanisms to ensure safety of new
constructions, when significant changes that affect their seismic safety, are required to be
made immediately after the local municipal bodies give clearance for occupation. A list of such
changes includes non-structural add-ons (such as air-conditioning ducting, false ceilings, roof-
top landscaping), and interior design and decoration items.

(d) Pilot projects will be undertaken to demonstrate safe seismic design and construction of new
structures, and the complete details of these pilot projects will be show-cased to the general
public.

(e) The Government of NCT of Delhi will make available all information to help private agencies to
build capacity to conduct seismic design and construction of privately-owned new buildings.

4.2.5 Seismic Strengthening of Existing Structures

(a) All Government of NCT of Delhi owned existing infrastructure and lifeline structures, especially
buildings and structures of public utilities (e.g., power plants and water supply services) and
bridges, will be examined for their seismic safety and seismic strengthening undertaken as
required in the next five years in a phased and prioritized manner.

(b) Pilot projects will be undertaken to demonstrate the seismic evaluation and strengthening of an
existing structure, and the complete details of these pilot projects will be show-cased in public.

(c) The Government of NCT of Delhi will make available all information to help private agencies to
build capacity to conduct seismic evaluation and strengthening of privately-owned existing
structures.

(d) The Government of NCT of Delhi will make it mandatory for any existing structure that is being
renovated and/or structurally modified (including during change of ownership of a property
though sale or during change in tenancy), to be strengthened as required by the relevant
seismic standards.

4.3 Structure of DDMA

DDMA will be the nodal agency to implement the Seismic Policy of the State of NCT of
Delhi. Since its structure and working will directly affect seismic safety, a professional approach
will be employed from the early days of DDMA; the project-mode approach of handling
developmental activities has been extremely successful in government departments across the
country and hence the same will be employed in DDMA. DDMA will have its own annual budget
with both plan and non-plan components, to facilitate implementation of the long-term and new
initiatives under the seismic safety policy. The budget estimates will be prepared keeping in mind
that most of the planning work will be achieved with professional inputs from specialists, and that
some of the implementation will be done by private agencies.

4.3.1 Officer Solely In-charge of DDMA

A full-time government officer, without dual charge of any other activity/department, will be
appointed as head of the DDMA to implement the seismic safety policy of the State of NCT of
Delhi in a committed manner. This full-time officer will provide leadership to steer the activities on
behalf of the government on the serious matter of disaster preparedness, and thereby give
impetus to and build momentum in the policies and specifics to be implemented through the
DDMA.

4.3.2 Structure of DDMA

One government officer will be assigned in DDMA as in-charge of each of the five focus
areas to plan the activities within that focus area and steer their implementation in the field. Again,
the appointments of these officers will be full-time appointments with no additional charge, to
ensure articulation of clear objectives, achievement of tangible results and development of
professional expertise in them over time.

4.3.3 Coordination between Government Departments

Working groups will be formed at the DDMA for each of the above five broad focus areas
with officers (including engineers and architects) nominated from all relevant government
departments. Different nominees will be deputed, to the extent possible, from each organization to
participate in these different focus areas of the DDMA to (a) increase participation of a larger
number of officers and thereby create a larger number of trained professionals in the subject, and
(b) reduce pressure on single individual and thereby increase the work output and efficiency of
each of them. These working groups with inter-organisational structure will improve the
coordination between the relevant government departments.

A considerable volume of work already undertaken by the various departments utilizing

their individual departmental budgets has indeed produced some very valuable deliverables. Such
important results will be used to the full extent. In the larger interest of public safety, DDMA will
collect the same from individual departments, create a repository of such valuable data, and share
this resource with all departments that need it.

5. Awareness and Education

(Implementing Agencies: DDMA, Professional Societies and Technical Institutes)

Information is the key to successful development of earthquake-resistant built environment.

The important activities for creating an informed society include (a) understanding the seismic
threat to the State, (b) preparing the general public on how to organize itself before, during & after
earthquakes, and (c) equipping the professional communities on technical strategies for
developing, upgrading and maintaining earthquake-resistant built environment. The Government of
NCT of Delhi will strive to continually inform and upgrade its different stake-holders with the best
available technical and non-technical information on seismic safety.

5.1 Sensitisations

A large section of both the general public and the professional communities of the State of
NCT of Delhi do recognize the earthquake problem, but are not adequately sensitized on the
issues involved in matters of seismic safety. Some of them do not even understand the prevalent
seismic hazard of the State of NCT of Delhi. The State is under threat of earthquakes from both
large earthquakes along the Himalayas and small earthquakes on the faults within the seismic
neighbourhood of NCT of Delhi. Thus, a comprehensive awareness campaign should be
institutionalised to emphasise periodically both the prevalent seismic hazard of the State and the
responsibilities of each and every stakeholder to address this hazard.

5.1.1 Architects and Engineers

The Government of NCT of Delhi has initiated sensitization of architects and engineers in
January 2004. The outcomes of these past sensitisation programmes should be understood.
Necessary modifications should be made in the contents and structure of these programmes to
make them more effective. Also, instead of the government steering these activities, professional
agencies like the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) and Institution of Engineers (India) (IE(I))
should be conducting subsequent such programmes.

5.1.2 Policy Makers and Bureaucrats

Visionary leadership is extremely critical for effective decisions and strategies in the early
days of earthquake preparedness efforts. In particular, the commitment of policy makers and
bureaucrats creates positive vibes within communities. The Government of NCT of Delhi has
initiated sensitization of ministers and bureaucrats in December 2004. Sensitisation programmes
should be organized for other members of the legislative assembly and counselors, along similar
lines.

5.1.3 Schools

Among the sensitisation programmes organized by the Government of NCT of Delhi, the
sensitisation programme in schools made significant headway. The programme helped in
identifying and linking the schools with the relevant government departments, e.g., fire, hospital
and police departments. This positive outcome should be sustained through effective follow-ups
and more schools should be included in the programme. A target for the total number of schools to
be covered should be set and each school should be required to submit its Emergency Plan.
Mock-drills should be held twice a year in each school, and the emergency plan should be updated
and fine-tuned after analyzing the observations from each of these drills.

5.1.4 Hospitals

Hospitals play a pivotal role in providing crucial help to the affected in the aftermath of an
earthquake. Given that earthquake resistant constructions are not very common, the number of
casualties is likely to be large during damaging earthquakes. Hence, the Government of NCT of
Delhi will work closely with hospitals to adequately prepare them for responding to the sudden and
heightened demand for medical services in the aftermath of an earthquake, particularly for
handling injuries sustained due to collapse of structures and for handling post-disaster trauma.
The hospitals must develop comprehensive action plans and do the preliminary ground work to
liaison with blood banks, medical equipment and pharmaceutical companies, and other
organisations (such as private nursing homes and nursing colleges) to galvanize into action
emergency personnel, facilities and services to meet the sudden demand for para-medical
services and support systems.

5.1.5 Media

The Government of NCT of Delhi will partner with the media (namely print, radio, television
and internet) to effectively utilize those media to communicate with the population of the State of
NCT of Delhi and support them with necessary directions and information on how to conduct
themselves in the aftermath of an earthquake disaster.
5.1.6 General Public

Sensitising the general public should be done carefully and with subtlety and sensitivity.
Services of professional media companies should be sought to develop mass media sensitization
tools. Multiple mediums of communication should be adopted to address this mammoth task. For
instance, television channels, newspaper companies and popular magazines should be involved in
this endeavour in a big way. The Government will encourage and motivate them to carry the mass
media programmes and features in public interest.

5.2 Training of Professionals

Once a group of architects and engineers have been sensitized, the next step is to train
them in the basic concepts of earthquake design and construction. Small groups of architects and
engineers will be given tailor-made but intense training. An important group of professionals to be
trained is the architects and engineers of municipal offices. These programmes will be conducted
by the professional organizations like IIA and IE(I). Detailed schedules for these training
programmes will be drawn-up well in advance to give the architects and engineers time to prepare
themselves in the required areas for better utilization of such training modules.

5.2.1 New Structures

The professionally designed building and construction projects in the country are generally
steered by architects. However, other projects, e.g., bridges and water tanks, are usually steered
with engineers as the team leaders. Hence, specialised courses should be developed on seismic
design and construction, and offered to interested professionals. The contents of these courses
must be detailed and offer background on topics related to concepts, calculations and detailing.
Adequate exposure should be provided to hands-on activity to facilitate confidence building.
Discussions on case-studies are extremely helpful; some discussion workshops of shorter duration
should also be conducted.

A list of possible specialized courses is:

(a) Seismic Design and Detailing of Reinforced Concrete Buildings,

(b) Seismic Design and Detailing of Masonry Buildings,
(c) Seismic Design and Detailing of Steel Buildings,
(d) Seismic Design and Detailing of Liquid Retaining Tanks,
(e) Seismic Design and Detailing of Bridges,
(f) Seismic Design Concepts for Architects, and
(g) Seismic Analysis of Structures.

5.2.2 Old Structures

The seismic evaluation and strengthening of existing structures requires detailed

knowledge of the seismic behavior of the existing structure. Clearly, this specialized skill lies in the
engineer’s domain, and hence such projects are steered best by engineers who have extensive
experience in seismic design and detailing of new buildings. This training therefore should be
offered only to those who have undergone the detailed training programme on design and
detailing of new structures. Again, the contents of these courses must be exhaustive and offer
background on topics related to concepts, calculations and detailing. For adequate hands-on
experience, discussions on case-studies will be essential. Hence, some discussion workshops of
shorter duration also should be conducted.

A list of possible specialized courses is:

(a) Seismic Evaluation and Strengthening of Buildings, and

(b) Seismic Analysis and Behaviour of Structures.
5.3 Training of Artisans

Training of artisans in specialized skills is a critical step in ensuring proper quality control in
earthquake-resistant constructions. Both in-class training for imparting concepts and on-field
training for building confidence will be undertaken for the artisans involved in different trades, e.g.,
masons, bar-benders, welders, carpenters, plumbers and electricians. This training may also be
offered to the large number of diploma holders who are involved at the civil engineering project
sites.

The Government of NCT of Delhi will evolve a formal framework for certification of artisans;
a two-year certification cycle may be a good beginning.

5.4 Technical Education in Architecture and Engineering Colleges

The technical institutes and universities in the State of NCT of Delhi must have adequate
technical expertise on the various subjects related to earthquake engineering. This is best
achieved in a phased manner. Considering the number of colleges in the State of NCT of Delhi, a
five year technology upgrade programme is considered reasonable.

5.4.1 Teachers’ Quality Improvement Programme

The foremost investment to be made in technical institutes is developing the faculty

members who will eventually not only steer the education in the colleges but also solve the
technical problems of the State. Two currently available programmes for this are the QIP and
NPEEE; both these programmes are MHRD, Government of India initiatives. The heads of the
institutes and universities will place high priority to update and/or upgrade the teachers, and send
them in groups for advanced training and degree programmes, namely M.Tech. and Ph.D. at the
premier national/international institutes.

5.4.2 Curriculum Development

Curriculum is the second item on the MUST DO list of institutes and universities. Human resource
development and curriculum changes will be undertaken simultaneously. Introducing changes in
the Curriculum can be quite tedious and requires a dedicated, committed and proactive approach.
A Participatory approach will be adopted through discussions with the faculty members involved
and an implement-able curriculum will be drawn-up. Institutes and universities of many states have
already embarked on this exercise; the State of NCT of Delhi will benefit immensely by drawing
lessons from those experiences. All polytechnics in a state usually follow the same curriculum and
hence it is that much simpler to bring about changes in the curriculum at that level. The teachers of
polytechnics and the state’s Directorate of Technical Education will work together to revise the
curriculum. The proposed curriculum changes so evolved will be examined carefully through short
term courses for teachers with this proposed curriculum content with a view to measure the
efficacy of the proposed revisions in understanding & assimilation of the earthquake engineering
concepts.

5.4.3 Upgradation of Studios, Laboratories and Libraries

This is third on the list of items towards the technical upgradation of institutes and
universities. Acquisition of teaching resource materials, and development of design studios &
experimental laboratories require capital intensive outlays. But, since they are essential for holistic
education and training of students and continued development of teachers, a meaningful part of
the annual budget of DDMA will be set aside for this purpose. Experimental laboratories are
essential in research, and therefore, will be considered as an integral part of the facilities required
for development of future technologies.
5.4.4 Post-Earthquake Field Studies

Teachers and current students of the institutes and universities will be encouraged to
participate actively in post-earthquake field studies (within the country and sometimes abroad) to
draw valuable lessons on both useful and ineffective technology solutions to making earthquake-
resistant structures. The Government of the NCT of Delhi will send its own multi-disciplinary team
for post-earthquake field investigations, document perishable lessons and disseminate the same
to technical and general audiences within the state. “Bad performance examples” in the aftermath
of an earthquake offer valuable lessons in what not to do, paving the way for effective solutions.

6. Regulations and Implementation

(Implementing Agencies: Municipal and Other Government Departments)

The construction industry is capital intensive, dynamic and fast changing. Some of the
prevalent practices are not necessarily adequately researched and ratified to be safe by the
specialists of the subject of seismic safety. Thus, regulations are necessary to identify and stop
such constructions. Therefore, the Government of NCT of Delhi will be on constant vigil to
understand and monitor the prevalent practices, and to steer them towards safer and scientifically
proven methods. The Government will also undertake to put in place the necessary legislative
framework to ensure that the earthquake disaster mitigation efforts are implemented without any
blockades.

6.1 Scrutiny of Designs and Building Permissions

Structural design and construction provisions related to safety are the concerns of
engineers, and urban planning provisions and architectural design aspects related to functional
planning and building science are the concerns of architects. For most commonly-built new
buildings, self-audit will be practiced by the architects and engineers involved in the project.
Notwithstanding this, the architects and engineers in municipal offices will be trained to scrutinise
structural design calculations and drawings submitted by the clients’ architects and engineers. A
check list of items to be examined will be developed, and the municipal architects and engineers
trained to be able to do this scrutiny. Annually, detailed design and construction audit will be
undertaken for a limited number (say 1-2%) of randomly chosen structures to ensure that the
complete process of structural design and detailing is being followed. The shortcomings identified
in this process will be published for the consumption of the architects and engineers in their future
projects. For special and important new structures, peer review of structural designs will be
undertaken by other noted architects and engineers. The cost incurred in this process will be
borne by the client owner of the structure.

Modifications to existing buildings, including seismic strengthening projects, will also

require approval from the municipal offices. Again, the structural design calculations and drawings
will be scrutinized for common buildings and peer reviewed for special and important structures.

6.2 Revision of Municipal Bye-laws

Municipal bye-laws will be made technology friendly, and not builder friendly. The existing
bye-laws will be reviewed to identify deficiencies from seismic safety point of view and suitable
modifications be made. This exercise will be completed within 6 months. The practicing
professionals may interpret existing bye-laws differently. Also, a number of new issues crop up in
professional practice, and these need to be addressed by the bye-laws. Hence, periodically need
arises to revisit the bye-laws and suitably modify them. This exercise will be undertaken once
every two years and the revised bye-laws made available immediately.

6.3 Registration of Architects and Engineers, and Licensing of Engineers

The Government of NCT of Delhi will develop scheme of registration of the architects and
engineers practicing within the State. This registration will be used to ensure that only qualified
professionals practice in the State. Also, this registration will help in seeking services of
professionals for peer review as well as for undertaking the professional work like revision of bye-
laws and development of new policies. Even if the professional bodies have their own registration
schemes, the Government of Delhi will enforce a separate registration until such time earthquake-
resistant design is part of the curriculum in and all practicing professionals have the required
background to conduct earthquake-resistant design and constructions.

The Government of NCT of Delhi will evolve a techno-legal framework for licensing of
engineers who wish to practice in the State of NCT of Delhi; a three-year licensing cycle may be a
good beginning.

6.4 Seismic Design Codes

Seismic design codes and provisions developed by the national code writing bodies
(namely Bureau of Indian Standards, Indian Roads Congress and Ministry of Railways) will be the
basis of all constructions in the State. This will avoid duplication of efforts and unnecessary
conflicts of provisions owing to existence of multiple documents on the same subject.

The State will encourage development of draft provisions or model codes that help improve
existing constructions or develop new constructions. These draft provisions may be sent to the
national code writing bodies for deliberation and consideration in the upcoming revision of the
relevant codes and standards. For example, currently there is limited support in the Indian codes
and standards to design non-structural elements, lifelines structures and critical buildings capable
of resisting strong earthquake shaking. However, a large number of such structures are being built
in the State. Hence, the State could encourage the development provisions for seismic design and
constructions of such structures.

6.5 Risk Transfer Mechanisms

Within a reasonable time frame, the Government will ensure that all government-owned
constructions are earthquake-resistant, thereby reducing the burden on the State in the event of a
damaging earthquake. The Government will not be responsible for the damage/loss and
consequences of the privately-owned constructions. Therefore, for the privately-owned
constructions, the State will encourage owners to develop earthquake-resistant constructions by
providing them incentives, and penalize owners of existing constructions vulnerable to seismic
shaking. For this, the Government will liaison with the financial institutions (like banks, insurance
companies and re-insurance companies) to adopt a strict policy of offering financial support only to
those complying with the seismic safety requirements. In exceptional and limited cases, these
institutions may offer support to owners of low-risk to earthquake shaking, but at very high
premiums.

7. Seismic Retrofit Framework

(Implementing Agencies: Utilities, Municipal & Other Government Departments)

A large amount of the existing built environment in the State of NCT of Delhi has been built
by architects and engineers who do not have formal training in the subject of earthquake resistant
design and construction. The prevalent professional practice is about the same in the different
parts of the country. These constructions have been tested in the earthquakes in recent past and
shown to perform poorly. Hence, the built environment in the State of NCT of Delhi will be
reviewed for its vulnerability to strong earthquake shaking, and appropriate seismic strengthening
measures undertaken.

7.1 GIS Maps of Inventory

A comprehensive inventory will be developed to identify the location and capability of

various facilities, which house all important functions and services required in the aftermath of
earthquakes, e.g., all important public buildings and structures that have mass human
congregation, like schools, police stations, food centers & milk vending areas, shopping centers,
banks, and commercial centers. Similarly, a list of lifeline structures and facilities may include
bridges, fire services, hospitals & health facilities, water mains, water treatment plants, sewer
mains, sewer treatment plants, telecommunication systems, transportation systems, and electricity
generation and distribution networks and systems. Such an inventory in part may already be
available with the National Informatics Center (New Delhi), Census of India, and other public and
private agencies. The Government will make efforts to add to this existing database to arrive at
comprehensive inventory sets.

7.2 Seismic Microzonation Studies

The risk to the built environment and the possible risk to newer developments in the State
should be adequately quantified. This process requires detailed information on a number of
factors, including seismic potential of the faults neighbouring the State, soil conditions at different
locations of the State, and technology of constructions. Seismic microzontation provides
information at a local level that will be useful in determining the seismic safety of the buildings and
structures located there. Therefore, seismic microzontation will be undertaken by the Government
for effective land-use planning as well as for emphasising the seismic threat to the existing
communities due to the specific limitations within the present built-environment.

7.3 Prioritisation of Structures

Since the number of structures to be seismically strengthened is huge and the available
financial & human resources are limited, only a phased approach is meaningful. Therefore, a
priority list will be drawn up to identify those structures that need most urgent strengthening and
those that can be undertaken subsequently. The Government will prepare this list keeping in mind
the degree of risk (i.e., the possible consequence of prevalent seismic hazard on the built
environment given the current vulnerability), the potential loss of life and the estimated financial
drain for each structure.

A single priority list of structures consisting of all building/structural typologies is neither

rational nor practical. The Government will make separate budgetary allocations for undertaking
seismic strengthening of these different types of structures. These different budgetary allocation
categories will include office buildings, buildings of special significance (e.g., national structures,
national museum, and historic monuments), hospitals, schools, and bridges & flyovers.

7.4 Phased Retrofitting

Seismic strengthening of existing structures is a completely new area for the professionals
of the country (i.e., both administrative and technical). Also, the strategy of seismic strengthening
is different for each structure. Thus, strategies of mass retrofitting are not meaningful. Lessons
learnt from one retrofitting project should be applied to subsequent ones. Thus, the Government of
NCT of Delhi will draw up a phased retrofit policy to address the above issues. Sharing of these
experiences with other professionals is an integral part of the retrofit knowledge bank and
experience building of the state. Moreover, the Government will periodically hold knowledge-
sharing workshops to disseminate the methodology and important experiences to a larger section
of the professional community.

The Government of NCT of Delhi has already undertaken the seismic evaluation and
strengthening of five public buildings. These projects are very important from the points of view of
developing the methodology for retrofitting, and understanding the tools & technology involved.
Based on these experiences, a detailed blue-print including the time schedule will be developed by
the Government for the phased retrofitting within the next 10 years of all the important lifeline
buildings, hospital buildings and school buildings. Similarly, a parallel effort will be undertaken by
the Government to undertake the phased retrofitting of all bridges and flyovers in the State. Since
the number of professional architects and engineers employed in the government sector is too
small to undertake the huge retrofitting activity of the Government’s infrastructure itself and since
timely implementation of the phased retrofitting projects should be ensured, the Government will
seek the services of professional architects and engineers from the private sector. This
outsourcing will be done in two, categories (1) design & detailing and (2) implementation.

8. Research and Development

(Implementing Agencies: Academic Institutes, Professional Societies and DDMA)

The knowledge-base in earthquake safety is evolving constantly. Also, the Government of

NCT of Delhi has a special circumstance by virtue of being the nation’s capital, which requires it to
be on the forefront of seismic safety. Both these aspects necessitate that the Government be the
leader in the seismic preparedness measures (both structural and non-structural), the
implementation of earthquake-resistant new constructions and the seismic strengthening of
existing structures. Thus, the Government of NCT of Delhi will assign significance to R&D activities
that will benefit all the stakeholders in the State.

8.1 Documentation

Virtually all countries that are advanced in seismic safety and preparedness, thrive on the
availability of a spectrum of documents that are relatively freely distributed to the community. The
Government of NCT of Delhi will actively distribute to all its stake-holders information and literature
related to seismic safety. This information is available in multiple formats meant for different
groups of stake-holders.

8.1.1 Public Awareness Material

The stakeholders of the State of NCT of Delhi are looking for three sets of information,
namely (1) earthquake hazard of Delhi, (2) earthquake basics to help understand earthquakes and
their effects, and thereby reduce fear, and (3) earthquake risk of individuals as well as the built
environment. Hence, the Government will develop the following items for maximizing mass
awareness:

(a) Video documents will be prepared for general public to articulate the earthquake hazard, risk,
and mitigation measures. These will be aired through the television channels, and at cinema
halls, railway stations, bus stations, airports, and other public places with captive audience.

(b) A handbook of earthquake safety will be prepared for general public highlighting safety of
persons (i.e., indoors, outdoors, and driving), buildings & structures, and nonstructural
contents of buildings.

(c) A homeowners manual will be prepared for a general audience emphasizing issues involved in
retrofitting existing buildings and making new buildings earthquake-resistant.

8.1.2 Technical Material

The Government will encourage subject specialists from academia and industry to author
(a) technical documents on concepts of earthquake behaviour and design for architects and
engineers to emphasise technical compulsions involved in the making new and old buildings &
structures earthquake resistant, and (b) texts along with solved examples that will deal with
detailed design calculations and detailing of structures.

8.2 Research Activities and Future Trends

Knowledge is resource, and hence knowledge acquisition and development are priorities of
an aware society. The Government of the NCT of Delhi will proactively support R&D activities that
lead to solving current difficult problems, offering solutions, and developing new technologies to be
employed in the future. For example, the Government may consider undertaking base isolation of
a new hospital building with a view to elevating the performance of the structure to a much higher
level.

The Government will achieve this R&D activity through the academic and research
institutes in the state. Further, the Government of NCT of Delhi will also participate in the
development or sustenance of centers of excellence in earthquake engineering located not only
within the state, but also across the country.

9. Disaster Management Planning and Community Preparedness

(Implementing Agencies: DDMA, Resident Welfare Associations and other Community

Associations, NGOs and Youth Volunteer Organisations)

In keeping with the overall policy of reducing the loss of life and property in future
earthquakes, the Government of NCT of Delhi and communities need to internalize earthquake
disaster mitigation through pre- and post-disaster activities and initiatives. The former includes (a)
prevention, (b) mitigation (e.g., structural measures to reduce collapse of buildings and structures),
and (c) earthquake preparedness activities; and the latter includes (a) emergency response and
relief, (b) rehabilitation of earthquake-affected and (c) reconstruction for the earthquake-affected.
In the State of NCT of Delhi, where the current awareness, perception and acceptance of the
prevalent earthquake hazard is very low, the most challenging task in earthquake disaster
mitigation of the State is to sensitize communities to be attune with the prevalent seismic risk,
educate & train them, and with their involvement undertake the truly enormous task of earthquake
disaster mitigation with the clear objective to evolve a prepared community with reduced indirect
loss of life and property, over time. The Government of NCT of Delhi will actively motivate,
endorse, support and train and the communities to incorporate earthquake disaster mitigation as
an integral part of the development process of the State.

9.1 State Disaster Management Plans and District Plans

Much of the success in earthquake disaster mitigation is achieved in communities that are
well informed and clear about their roles both before and after the earthquake. After that the
primary effort will be to train the community through documentation, drills and discussions on
coordination between the stakeholders, again both pre and post earthquake strike. Thus, the
Government of NCT of Delhi will put in place a system to educate and mobilize communities into
active role playing.

9.1.1 Emergency Support Functions and Incident Command System

The Government of NCT of Delhi will identify all post-earthquake emergency support
functions and concerned departments involved in offering each of these functions, along with a
nodal department to coordinate the functions. These departments will assist and support the
Government at the time of emergency to restore damaged public services and infrastructure of the
State. Earthquake disasters may require these departments to employ different equipment and
strategies than those used in other disasters. Hence, the Government of NCT of Delhi will project
realistic scenarios based on experiences from past earthquakes in India and abroad, and draw up
detailed post-earthquake emergency plans.

Also, an Incident Command System (ICS) is required with a pre-determined chain of

command for coordinating the emergency support functions. The ICS will also identify the level in
the government hierarchy that will respond depending on the magnitude of the earthquake
disaster. Such an ICS is already in place in the State of NCT of Delhi; however, it needs to be
updated in terms of quality of information and activities. Hence, Government of NCT of Delhi will
undertake to train the personnel involved in the ICS with professional inputs to make them fully
equipped in terms of information and methodologies for addressing the known aspects of
earthquake disasters and of strategies for addressing the new aspects arising out of that particular
earthquake disaster.

The Emergency Operations Center is an integral part of the ICS. Hence, Government of
NCT of Delhi shall maintain in functional order an EOC for coordination of human resource,
material and matter.

9.1.2 Participation of Private Stake

Irrespective of the magnitude of the earthquake disaster, the Government alone cannot
address the entire gamut of earthquake preparedness and response activities. Hence, the
Government of NCT of Delhi will hold discussions with the private stake holders and negotiate a
plan for making available to the Government services and material during the emergency phase in
the immediate aftermath of an earthquake. A list of such stake holders would include, for example,
organizations like the telecom service providers, ration suppliers, and transport dealers. Also,
these services and material will be sought from the private stake holders at cost, and therefore the
Government of NCT of Delhi will negotiate a priori with these stake holders the prices for the
services and materials required in the aftermath of an earthquake.

9.1.3 Participation of NGOs, Youth Organisations, Civil Defense Organsations and

Aid Agencies

Each natural disaster offers special challenges that need to be understood beforehand and
adequate preparations made to effectively manage such disasters. A number of organsations, like
NGOs, youth organizations, volunteer agencies and civil defense organsations, need to work with
the Incident Command System to offer human resources for handling and coordinating various
specialised and general activities in the aftermath of an earthquake. The Government of NCT of
Delhi will work with these agencies to understand and plan their roles in the command chain of the
ICS, and develop a document that explains to these agencies the specifics of the protocols and
procedures, in clear and unequivocal terms.

Further, Natural disasters draw overwhelming humanitarian support offered by

communities that are not directly affected by the disaster. There are a number of agencies that
wish to offer aid in cash, kind and services, in the aftermath of an earthquake. The large number of
donors and the constraints posed by their donations, along with the large number of NGOs and
volunteer agencies that offer equally competing challenges, require adequately researched
strategies for management of both with relative ease. The Government of NCT of Delhi will work
towards developing a comprehensive understanding of the matter and thereby arrive at a clear
policy for accepting donations and help. The Government of NCT of Delhi will evolve norms for
relief and response activities to be undertaken by these aid agencies, with a clear understanding
that concessions are necessary in disasters.

9.1.4 Partnering media during disasters

There is need to (a) contain the fear within the affected community and its associated
linkages outside the affected area, (b) provide factual data and information on the earthquake
disaster, and (c) guide communities towards organised pre-earthquake disaster preparedness and
post-earthquake rescue, relief and rehabilitation. The Government of NCT of Delhi will partner with
the various forms of media, namely print, radio, television and internet, understand the importance
of dissemination of quality information and to develop strategies for acquiring such information.

9.2 Community Preparedness Plans and Appropriate Linkages with State Support Systems

The Government of NCT of Delhi will prepare community preparedness plans that will
elaborate the linkages of the various State Support Systems, like the police department, fire
department, health departments, private health services and ambulance services, and the
jurisdiction of each of these departments. Further, the Government of NCT of Delhi will make it
mandatory for all State Support Systems conduct mock drills with their emergency plans and
eventually internalize the same, to respond effectively in the aftermath of an earthquake. However,
each of these State Support Systems will update itself from time to time with relevant information
on the state of the art in their specific area of operation.

9.3 School Plans

Schools constitute a vital building type in earthquake disaster mitigation–loss of life and
injuries must be prevented, and the buildings must be protected from severe damage and
collapse. The Government of NCT of Delhi will work with school owners to prepare school
earthquake preparedness plans that will clarify the linkages of the school with the necessary State
Support Systems, like the fire department. While this effort is already under way in the State, the
Government of NCT of Delhi will make it mandatory for all schools to conduct mock drills based on
the emergency plans, keep alive the interest of the teachers and students in earthquake
preparedness, and update themselves from time to time with relevant information on the same.
The schools will liaison with the Fire Department for the mock drills.

9. 4 Hospital Plans

Just as in the case of schools, the Government of NCT of Delhi will mandate all hospitals in
the State to develop their emergency plans, conduct mock drills based on the emergency plans,
and update themselves from time to time with relevant information on earthquake preparedness.
The Government of NCT of Delhi will demonstrate the seriousness of the need for preparedness of
all hospitals in the State by ensuring that all government-owned hospitals themselves are fully
prepared in this regard.

9.5 Plans for Government Offices

Again, the Government of NCT of Delhi will lead by example, to drive home the
seriousness of the need for earthquake preparedness of the State by ensuring that all government
offices are fully prepared with emergency plans and regularly conducted mock drills.

10. Closing Comments

Nine earthquakes of magnitude greater than 6 in the country since 1988 and the colossal
loss of life and property in these earthquakes, have given clear indications that it is time to embark
on a mission towards launching a comprehensive seismic safety agenda for ensuring protection to
the people and the built environment of the nation. A seismic safety policy document must be
articulated at the national level by the Government of India to unite all Indians into a single line of
thought and action. The paper presented a structure of the broad issues involved in such a
document, including details of the measures that state governments need to take note of. It is
hoped that this paper will give readers an opportunity to recognize the concerns and contribute
their bit in the colossal national effort towards earthquake disaster management.

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