The increasing frequency and severity of earthquakes shouldn’t come as a surprise
LAHORE: The increasing frequency and severity of earthquakes shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who know that tectonic plates move to form new mountain ranges in the plains of Punjab and Sindh. This was stated by a Punjab University Department of Space Science Professor, Dr Syed Amer Mahmood. An accurate forecast as to when earthquakes will occur, and how strong they will be is not possible, thus the region must prepare to cope with increasing earthquakes in our cities. One way of being able to efficiently tackle an earthquake is to have adequate infrastructure in place in order to withstand the impact of the earthquake.
However, the question that arises is, are Pakistan’s urban infrastructure and settlements prepared for such a disaster? Unregulated construction of highrise buildings, patchy zoning system and building by-laws and uncontrolled expansion of cities mean that they would become death traps. Questions can legitimately be asked about how well prepared the planning departments are to respond to such natural calamities, but that is only half the story. The lack of preparedness is the main reason that these disasters cause innumerable fatalities. There is a dire need to ensure that construction is strictly regulated and conforms to safety standards, that evacuation plans are drawn up and put into practice and that the administration does not panic even as people do. The government must ensure that sufficient safety mechanisms are in place to prevent further deaths if and when Pakistan experiences another another earthquake.
Azim Iqbal
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2018.
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