The Tibet earthquake has renewed the debate about the preparedness for damage reduction and the continued possibility of earthquakes. It should not be limited to current discussions, it should be a change in lifestyle.
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The earthquake that occurred in Tibet, an autonomous region of China, on Tuesday morning reminded Nepal of the tragedy of the Gorkha earthquake of 2072 Baisakh and the Jajarkot earthquake of 2080. There are reports of at least 126 deaths and massive material damage due to the earthquake in Dingri County, Tibet.
In the last one decade, two powerful earthquakes in Nepal have caused a lot of damage to the society. Several small-big aftershocks have also caused panic. Due to the impact of the Tibet earthquake, there will be debate and awareness programs in connection with the earthquake in the next few days.
However, with time, this episode will fade and earthquake awareness will be passive as in the past because our state and society are used to it. However, the Nepali citizens and the state have been forgetting the standards that have been forgotten by the Tibet earthquake. This is a great opportunity to learn lessons.
Nepal, located on the border of the Indian and Eurasian plates, is always a seismically vulnerable region. Scientists say that the Indian plate is moving northeastward at a rate of five centimeters every year and the Eurasian plate is moving northward at a rate of two centimeters every year.
Due to the friction between these two, the Indian plate is shrinking at a rate of four millimeters and due to this movement, the Nepalese land is always at high risk of earthquakes. The greater the risk, the more caution we need to be, and we are in a cycle of panicking and forgetting. We have serious references to take a lesson.
Due to the Gorkha earthquake, about nine thousand Nepali and foreign citizens lost their lives. About 11 lakh private houses were damaged. Public structures like schools, health institutions, cultural heritage were also damaged in thousands. People have died from the subsequent earthquakes, physical structures have been damaged.
After 2072, education, preparedness, earthquake-resistant houses and structures and building standards to help reduce damage caused by earthquakes have become the mainstream of the debate. However, our precautions and preparedness to minimize the human and material losses are still weak. Most standards and precautions are limited to formality.
After the earthquake after 2072, the government implemented the 'Basti Vikas Sahri Planning and Building Construction Basic Standards 2072' when unsafe buildings started to be constructed in their own way during the reconstruction. But it has not been fully complied with. Even now, there is a growing tendency to construct buildings without passing the map.
If there is a tendency for individuals not to comply with the standards, the responsible body is not even monitored. Potential damage can be minimized only if the practice of compliance by the building builders and monitoring by the responsible body is strictly enforced.
It is the common people who suffer the most from the earthquake. The human and physical damage to the state is so great that it can be recovered in time. However, citizens lose loved ones, parents or children for whom compensation is impossible. Losing a relative disrupts the rhythm of family life. Adds financial burden.
Therefore, individuals should prioritize learning lessons from past earthquakes and preparing for less damage to themselves and their families from potential earthquakes. If you follow the standards set by the government and build a house that minimizes the impact of earthquakes as much as possible, ensure its quality, hold discussions among family members to avoid earthquakes, and do exercises from time to time, you may have to bear less damage.
Again, it is not the earthquake itself that causes the damage, but the fact that the damage is caused by the structure that cannot withstand the vibration should be taken into account. The Tibet earthquake has renewed the debate about the preparedness for damage reduction and the continued possibility of earthquakes. It should not be limited to contemporary discussions, it should be a change in lifestyle.
