PLANNING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREAS

Abstract

Earthquake is a natural disaster, but unlike for other natural disasters like floods, cyclones, draughts etc., it is not yet scientifically possible to predict the exact location, time and magnitude of a possible earthquake. The state of the science today can locate critical areas, can keep all the parameters closely watched and give a fair indication of what could happen if earthquake comes, but in our country even the estimation of probable damage is not possible till now. India is a developing country undergoing population growth at an alarming rate. Due to better facilities and more opportunities for earning, more and more people are being attracted from rural areas to urban areas and from smaller to bigger urban centres. In the wake of urbanization most of the cities are expanding rapidly in an uncontrolled manner and it is getting even more difficult to guide the development in a planned way.