Lok Sabha Question No. 1471 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Earthquake Management
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1471

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 26 TH  JULY, 2016/ SHRAVANA 4, 1938 (SAKA)

## EARTHQUAKE MANAGEMENT

1471. SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE: SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

## Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  there  is  an  increase  in  the  incidents  of  earthquake  in  the country during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the number  of persons killed/injured and damage to property reported in such incidents, Statewise;
- (c)  the  mechanism  followed  by  the  Government  to  compensate  the losses incurred by the people due to earthquakes in the country;
- (d)  the  details  of  earthquake  mitigation  measures  adopted  by  the Government;
- (e) whether the Government has taken advantage of the mechanism of sharing  information  on  earthquakes  between  several  countries  during the said period; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a)  & (b)   The  National Centre for Seismology (NCS), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has informed that statistically & scientifically it is not possible to state whether there is any change in frequency of earthquake on the basis of one or two years data. However, if looking a larger period data then it suggests that apparently, there is no change in frequency of earthquakes in the country.

## LS.US.Q.No.1471 FOR 26.07.2016

During  the  last  three  years  the  following  two  earthquakes  of  great intensity occurred in the country, are given as below:

- (i) Earthquake occurred during 2015:   As per the information received from the State Governments, 79 human lives (58 in Bihar, 17 in Uttar Pradesh, 3 in West Bengal, 1 in Rajasthan) have been lost due to the earthquake of 25 th  April 2015.
- (ii) Earthquake occurred during 2016:  As per the information received from the State Government of Manipur, 10 human lives had been lost due to the earthquake of 4 th  January 2016, and 01 human live lost due to earthquake of 13 th  April 2016, besides damage to 4184 public and private properties. No major casualty or damage was reported from other States of the country including North-Eastern States.
- (c)   With regard to compensation, it is stated financial assistance in the wake of natural disasters is by way of relief and not for compensation of loss as suffered/ claimed. However, financial relief of immediate nature, it  is  mentioned that the concerned State Governments undertake relief operations  in  the  wake  of  natural  disasters  including  earthquake  from the  State   Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF)   already  placed   at   their disposal.  An  additional  assistance  is  supplemented  from  the  National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

## LS.US.Q.No.1471 FOR 26.07.2016

(d)        Till  date,  there  is  no  proven  scientific  technique  available, anywhere in the world, to forecast/ predict the occurrence of earthquakes with reasonable degree of accuracy with regard to space, time  and  magnitude  and  also  there  is  no  scientific  technique  yet available to prevent the occurrence of earthquake.

However, guidelines have been published by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS),  Building  Materials  &  Technical  Promotion  Council  (BMTPC)  and Housing  and  Urban  Development  Corporation  (HUDCO)  etc.  for  the design  and  construction  of  earthquake  resistant  structure  to  prevent, mitigate and minimize the loss of life and damage to property caused by earthquakes. Further, National Building Code provides various provisions for earthquake resistant design and construction of buildings in  various  zones  including  those  in  North-Eastern  part  of  the  Country. These  guidelines  are  in  wide  circulation  amongst  the  public  and  the administrative authorities responsible for the design and construction of earthquake resistant structures in earthquake prone areas.

(e)  &  (f)    As  per    National  Center  for  Seismology,    Ministry  of  Earth Sciences,  the  earthquake  data  from  three  Indian  stations  namely, Shillong, Minicoy and Port Blair are shared in real time with International Seismological Organizations for use in tsunami warning.

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