Destruction caused by earthquakes in Venezuela should serve as a wake-up call for Northeast India, which falls under the highest earthquake risk zone – seismic Zone V.
The death toll from last week’s powerful back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes, has risen to more than 2,200, while about 50,000 people are still missing. It is reported that over 11,000 people have been injured and several thousand more rendered homeless as houses and buildings were reduced to rubble. This devastating natural disaster shares similarities with the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which claimed nearly 9,000 lives and left millions homeless after thousands of houses were destroyed. While multiple factors may have contributed to the extensive destruction in both events, the primary cause was the shallow depth of the rupture, which created a 'zipper-like' effect. As for the unprecedented destruction of buildings, experts have attributed it to a failure to meet modern seismic building codes and compromised safety standards. In Nepal, most historical monuments and unreinforced masonry buildings, constructed with bricks and mud mortar, collapsed instantly due to the violent tremors. Similarly, experts have linked the extent of building collapse in Venezuela to age, construction type, and lack of maintenance. While it is impossible to identify a single cause for such destruction, past catastrophes clearly demonstrate that buildings and infrastructure that do not meet resilience standards are susceptible to natural calamities. The extent of destruction and casualties can be drastically influenced by the level of preparedness and safety standards, as was demonstrated by Japan and the Philippines, which were also jolted by 6.9-magnitude and 7.8-magnitude earthquakes, respectively, last month.
This situation should serve as a wake-up call for India, particularly the Himalayan belt, which falls under the highest earthquake risk zone – seismic Zone V – encompassing the entire Northeast. Unfortunately, both governments and the public appear to be complacent about seismic risks. The Nagaland Building Bye-Laws 2012 are a case in point. These laws, which address various safety concerns including minimum building construction standards, height restrictions, and the restoration of unsafe structures, have remained dormant for over a decade. While safety protocols exist on paper, they are largely ignored in practice. Highlighting this lapse, the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) has issued a notice threatening stringent action against those engaging in illegal activities, including constructing buildings without obtaining a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the council. This follows a similar directive issued by the East Dimapur Town Council over a year ago, which stated that constructing buildings, both residential and commercial, without prior permission would invite penalties. The apparent failure in implementing these directives urgently needs to be addressed. Nagaland has much to learn from Japan, which has set a benchmark in disaster mitigation through resilience, stringent seismic building code compliance, automatic shut-off systems, rapid public warnings, public awareness, and preparedness. Undermining safety standards can prove catastrophic, especially in crowded urban areas like Kohima and Dimapur.