Govt constitutes committee for Earthquake Risk Reduction & Management for UT of J&K
Srinagar, June 10: The government on Tuesday constituted a Committee for Earthquake Risk Reduction and Management for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with Administrative Secretary, Disaster Management Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Department as its chairperson.
The Administrative Secretary, Public Works (R&B) Department; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu/Kashmir; Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Committee/Srinagar Municipal Committee; Director, School Education, Jammu/Kashmir; Director, Rural Development, Jammu/Kashmir; Dr. O P Mishra, Director National Centre for Seismology; Prof. Bikram Singh Bali, HoD School of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir; Prof. G M Bhat, Department of Geology (Retd.); Deputy Secretary to the Government, Disaster Management Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Department; Dr. Ajay Chaurasia, Chief Scientist & Professor CBRI; Dr. Rakesh Chandra, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Kashmir; Dr. Irfan Maqbool Bhat, Assistant Professor, Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction, Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora; Dr. Mehreen Quraishi, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora; Dr. Falak Manzoor, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar; Dr. Mir Faizan ul Haq, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jammu have been nominated as its members.
According to the notification, the chairperson may Co-opt any member(s) to obtain required technical and inter-disciplinary input(s) for the committee. The committee shall be assisted by the concerned Department(s) in their field studies/observations.
The Committee has been tasked to devise a comprehensive roadmap for earthquake risk management and risk reduction in the UT of J&K; to identify and define J&K's vulnerabilities to earthquakes, conducting detailed risk assessments to prioritize mitigation efforts and develop resilient sustainable strategies for earthquake preparedness and mitigation; to chart out strategies for the screening and safety assessments of buildings for better insight into structural stability and safety in the wake of Earthquake risks.
Further the committee has to strengthen Earthquake preparedness through safety guidelines and key policy initiatives; to develop earthquake risk management strategies and focus on assessing the current state and challenges faced by J&K in earthquake preparedness and mitigation efforts; to suggest the measures for earthquake preparedness and mitigation within the region; to suggest on the measures for ensuring the safety of the population through measures like Public awareness, community engagement, capacity building and training;.
The committee shall also to develop and implement earthquake-specific disaster management strategies at the UT and district levels, ensuring coordination among different departments, agencies and coordinating with other stakeholders; to suggest measures to prevent and mitigate the effects of earthquakes, such as building code enforcement, public awareness campaigns and earthquake resilient infrastructure; and to develop strategies for swift and effective response to earthquake events and Training & equipping government officials, emergency responders and community members with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively manage earthquake disasters.
