Earthquake as a Disaster in Chandigarh : Preparedness Plan

The difference between a small scale disaster and a large scale one is, apart from the force with
which a disaster strikes, also the in advance preparedness of the city, region or country in
question. For instance a earthquake of magnitude 7.0 is a yearly event for the Japanese and apart
from limited damage to infrastructure and very less loss of life, things get to normal within days
but, in comparison the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 was also of magnitude 7.0 and the
loss of life was in lakhs and it is still suffering from the consequences of that event. Why is it so?
It is so because of the preparedness in advance by the concerned nation.

Chandigarh is situated on the foothills of Himalayas, which is an active seismic zone, and where
the probability of an earthquake striking is relatively high. So, how prepared are we?
Preparedness is not a quantitative entity but, could surely be seen or observed if you are a
concerned and a vigilant citizen. To answer the question ask yourself how many times you have
seen the city administration doing an earthquake evacuation drills on small scale, how many
schools, colleges, hospitals and offices, which are densely occupied places, perform such mock
drills. Leaving mock drills apart how many of these places have an emergency exit facility? If
you have answer to these questions you would know how prepared are we.

Firstly, lets assume that a earthquake had stuck and before any outside help arrives, the first
assistance that could be provided is by the first respondents, that are those nearby who are in
position to help, how many of us know how to deal in such a situation? Secondly, how fast can
quick reaction teams arrive at that place? Do we have QR teams? The roads of Chandigarh are
mostly clogged with traffic and what happened on last Christmas Day and New Years Eve
could make matters worse. Thirdly, are our hospitals capable of responding to such a situation
where casualties are in thousands and what if hospitals themselves got adversely affected .
Finally, how safe and secure are our building practices and are they designed to withhold an
earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or above?

Yes, there are lots of ifs and buts, I agree but, it were questions similar to those that were timely
addressed by the Japanese and ignored by the Haitian authorities. So, as the old and wisely
saying Prepare for the worst and hope for the best suggest we should prepare for the worst.

Parwinder Singh Sanawal

Research Scholar
Department of Defense and National Security Studies
Panjab University, Chandigarh