EARTH QUAKE

(Chapter – 18)

18.1 PRE-DISASTER PHASE – MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS

Considering Precambrian geological set-up in major parts of Orissa, seismicity is relatively high as evident from the number of earthquakes in the hard rock terrain. A couple events originated close to the basin marginal faults of Gondwana Garben. Records of historical seismicity indicate activity also along the Orissa coastal belt.

As per the recent categorization, the country has been divided into four zones. Similarly the Seismic Zoning of Orissa has been revised and Orissa falls between Zone I to II, i.e. low damage risk zone and moderate damage risk zones. However, it may be noted that major part of Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, also comes in the moderate zone but Ahmedabad City was badly affected by the impact of the Bhuj earthquake. The details of the location of the district according to seismic zones is given in the Table below and in the map enclosed.

Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Paradip, Puri and the critical Hirakud Dam fall within the moderate damage risk zone. The city of Ahmedabad, which was badly affected by the impact of Gujarat earthquake 2001, is also located in the moderate zone.

District coming under Moderate Risk Zones	Districts coming under Low Damage Risk Zones
Bargarh, Sambalpur, Anugul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Jagasinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak.	Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Bolangir, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam.

Measure of intensity of earthquake according to Modified Mercalli (MM) scale and its possible impact is given below :

MM scale intensity of earthquake	Measure of intensity described in terms of possible impact
I	Not felt except by a very few under especially favourable circumstances.
II	Felt only y a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of building.
III	Felt quite noticeably indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings.
IV	Felt by many indoors, during the day by a few outdoors. At night some are awakened. Dishes, windows, doors are disturbed. Standing motorcars rocked noticeably.
V	Felt by nearly everyone, may awakened. Some dishes, windows, etc., broken; Pendulum clock may stop.
VI	Felt by all : many frightened and run outdoors. Heavy furniture may move. A few instances of fallen plaster or damaged chimeys - damage slight.
VII	Everybody runs outdoors. Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction, slight to moderate in well built ordinary structures, but considerable in poorly built or badly designed structures.
VIII	Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable in ordinary structures and great in poorly built structures. Fall of chimneys, stacks and columns. Persons driving motorcars are disturbed.
IX	Damage considerable, even in especially designed structures; well-designed frame structures thrown out of plumbing. Buildings shift off foundations. Ground cracked conspicuously.
X	Some well-built wooden structures destroyed; ground badly cracked; rails bent. Landslides and shifting of sand and mud.
XI	Few, if any (masonry) structures, remain standing. Broad fractures, in ground.
XII	Damage total. Waves seen on ground surface. Lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown upward into the air.

The technical paper of GIS states that ORISSA, if at all, experiences any earthquake, it may attain the intensity of 5.9 on the Richter scale. Accordingly, the intensity as per modified Mercalli scale goes in the rang of VI & VII.

Richter Scale Magnitude (M)	Modified Mercalli Scale Intensity (MM)
5.0 – 5.9	VI – VII
6.0 – 6.9	VII – VIII

18.2 METHODOLOGY FOR PREPARATION OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN

18.2.1 Earthquake

A Disaster Management Plan should have three parts, namely pre-disaster plan, emergency response plan and long term post-disaster plan.

18.2.2 Pre-Disaster Plan

Warning and disaster preparedness are the important components of pre-disaster plan. However, in case of earthquake, there is very little scope of prior warning since the event comes very suddenly.

The pre-disaster preparedness has several components such as –

i. Hazard Zone mapping. Mapping of earthquake vulnerable zones and superimposing details of vulnerable structures, infrastructure, vital installations.

ii. Detailed inventory of major infrastructures such as Rly. buildings, Bridges, signal posts, FOBs, culverts, track, signalling, telecom network, OHE & damage to vital insulations like diesel and electric loco sheds. The first task would be to set up assessment teams comprising of representatives from the Civil, Electrical, Signal & Telecommunication, Security and Medical disciplines. When all communication links were disrupted, it may be necessary for the Division to requisition a helicopter from the nearest Air Force station for an aerial survey of the damage.

iii. Settlement locations and population inventory.

iv. Creation of data-base at all levels of human, equipment and other infrastructural resources to be utilized.

18.2.3 Emergency Response Plan

i. In the event of an earthquake striking some area, the IMD and GSI seismic observation centres give the exact location of the epicenter and the intensity of the earthquake on the Richter scale. With this information in hand, the disaster emergency squad will make an immediate visit to the spot of the affected area for a quick on-site assessment of the situation. Simultaneously, there will be a public announcement about the epicenter and probably affected area and the intensity of the earthquake. The emergency squad on ground shall take video photographs of the affected area. The on-site visit and assessment shall be completed within hours and such news will be broadcast through All India Radio and Doordarshan as well as through Rly. communication network and other means for information to the public and also to the people in the affected area.

ii. The information on affected area as well as the first assessment of the emergency squad will be immediately super-imposed in the hazard zone map. The Control Room at the particular affected areas as well as the Central Control Room will be put under red alert within the shortest period after the earth quake strikes.

iii. A good pre-disaster preparedness plan result in a very good emergency response plan in the time of need. There will be no room for any interventions in the emergency response plan, which is basically a faithful implementation of the pre-disaster preparedness plan.

18.2.4 Long Term Post-Disaster Plan

i. A good part of the long-term post disaster reconstruction plan has to be become a part of the normal development plan in the area keeping in view earthquake hazard proneness of the area under consideration and the same will be included in the pre-disaster preparedness plan. However, after an earthquake occurs, activities of reconstruction will be taken up with greater urgency.

ii. A disaster is a great misfortune for the affected people but at the same time this is an opportunity to bring radical changes in attitudes to adoption of disaster mitigation measures, which otherwise, would not have been accepted by the people under normal conditions. In this process of reconstruction, a good deal of integration is necessary between Railway, State Government (regulatory and development agencies), research institutes and the people.

iii. The type of damages as brought out in the Report of IIT Mumbai on Gujarat earthquake reinforces the need for strict compliance of the laid down norms of the Bureau of Indian Standards for earthquake resistant design of structures. To preclude the possibility of a design suitable for a lower seismic zone being inadvertently utilized in zone IV and V, a specific endorsement should be made on the structural drawings of all lifeline buildings and structures falling in seismic zones IV & V for compliance of the criterion of earthquake resistant design as given in the relevant BIS codes.

iv. The earthquake also causes widespread damage to other railway structures like signals, cabins, diesel loco shed, FOBs. The study recommends low cost repair and strengthening strategies for various types of structures while recommending demolition and reconstruction of some other buildings. The Railway Board should consider the recommendation of IIT Mumbai for acceptance for new construction of important lifeline buildings and structures ( railway stations, RRI cabins, PRS centers, hospitals, administrative buildings, schools etc.) falling in seismic zones IV & V on a selective basis depending upon the number of occupants in the building at a time or the critical nature of the building from Railway’s operation point of view. The Railway Board should frame guidelines for selection of such buildings and structures.

v. The Ministry of Urban Development had constituted an Expert Group in July 1994 to identify vulnerable areas with reference to natural hazards, assess risks due to earthquakes, cyclones and floods and recommend structural measures required to prevent loss of property and life. The group, while making a number of recommendations, also compiled a Vulnerability Atlas (1997) indicating the proneness of various areas of the country to hazards arising out of earthquakes, cyclones and floods. These maps are available for each State and Union Territory.

vi. 4.1.7 The Ministry of Home Affairs has desired that retrofitment of all lifeline buildings in seismic Zones IV & V should be carried out in a time bound manner, to mitigate the effect of earthquakes. Railways have a large number of such critical buildings and structures. Following the above policy will be a time consuming and a very costly exercise for which the Railway Board has made no estimates. The Railway Board, in their reply to the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that the “Zonal Railways have been advised to assess the safety of all railway structures with reference to the revised classification of seismic zones and take appropriate measures like retrofitment etc. when buildings are not found structurally sound from earthquake point of view”. The Railway Board had also communicated to the MHA that no fixed time frame could be prescribed for such retrofitment as this could have heavy financial implications. Zonal Railways have yet to initiate any concrete action towards assessing the earthquake damageability of buildings and structures and undertake retrofitment wherever necessary. Assessment of vulnerability of railway buildings and structures in

vii. Zone IV & V should be done selectively for which certain guidelines should be laid down by the Railway Board based on severity of the expected consequences and technical details of the structures. Some of these issues have been considered later.

viii. The Ministry of Railways has confirmed that all new constructions are as per prevalent BIS norms. The Bureau of Indian Standards issued the IS-1893 in 1962 giving the “Criteria for Earthquakes Resistant Design of Structures”.

ix. Adviser, GOI – UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme and a noted authority in this field, has prepared guidelines for ‘Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for their Damageability under various Earthquake Intensities’ postulated in seismic zones of India. The guidelines, which have been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs for acceptance, are expected to facilitate initial assessment of vulnerability of buildings so as to identify their retrofitment needs. The methodology for Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) and Simplified Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) procedures given in the guidelines can be made use of by the Indian Railways in a prioritized manner for railway structures in a few divisions falling in seismic zone IV and V in the next few years.

x. 4.1.13 The White Paper on Safety of Indian Railways as well as the Corporate Safety Plan (2003-2013) have dealt with the subject of rehabilitation of railway bridges using modern methods of repair and rehabilitation. Within the selected bridges that need rehabilitation, priority should be given to bridges falling in seismic zones IV & V.

xi. Earthquakes have a bearing on safe running of trains.

a. Firstly, precautionary steps need to be taken to protect a running train from derailing due to possible damages to track and bridges. General Rules and Subsidiary Rules are available for operating rail system under conditions of tempestuous weather. There are no instructions for operating of the system after earthquake has been recorded. General Rules need to be framed to ensure safe running of trains in case of an earthquake. IS:1893 has indicated the damageability of structures due to different MSK intensity levels.

b. Secondly, the dynamic behavior of a railway vehicle at different speeds on a track vibrated in lateral and vertical direction for different intensities of earthquakes needs to be studied using simulation techniques to preclude possible derailment on this account. It is understood the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) in Japan has already conducted such studies with a view to automatically control train speed in case of earthquake.

18.3 POST DISASTER PHASE – RESCUE, RELIEF AND REHABILITATION

18.3.1 This phase includes all measures that are taken immediately in the aftermath of a disaster. The speed and efficiency of the response in this phase will crucially determine the loss to life and property. The ability to respond to a disaster is developed in the pre-disaster phase and these capabilities will be brought into play immediately after a disaster. A clear chain of command, deployment of trained personnel, proper flow of information, speed of decision making and mobilization of resources are critical in this phase.

18.3.2 After a major earthquake, the first priority is to provide relief and medical aid to affected persons to minimize loss of lives. During the Gujarat earthquake, roofs of several quarters in Railway colony had collapsed. A number of families were rendered destitute. Others, whose dwellings were intact, preferred to live outside because of fear of continuing tremors. The water and electric power supply to railway stations and colonies had been disrupted. Fortunately, there were no stranded passengers and no trains in mid-section. Rail infrastructure had been extensively damaged. Communication channels were down and organization was in disarray as most officers and supervisors in the affected area were victims of damage. Movement of men and material for rescue and relief in such circumstances becomes a challenging task.

18.3.3 A Field Control Office should be set up at an appropriate location nearest to the affected area. The Divisional Railway Manager should direct the operations from the Field Control Office. Tel-communication linkage using V-SAT would be necessary between the Field Control & Divisional Control. VHF sets can also be used for communication between Assessment Teams and the Field Control. The Divisional Railway Manager will direct and coordinate the assessment exercise and communicate to the Divisional Control Office. Liaison with the local officers of the State Government would also be necessary both at field and divisional level.

18.3.4 Once an assessment has been made of the damage to the railway infrastructure, including the immediate assistance required and the extent of relief needed by the stranded passengers and railway staff/families, the Divisional Emergency Control should arrange the same on priority. The Divisional Control office should function under the direct charge of ADRM. Assistance of headquarters office can be sought for mobilizing relief from outside the Division.

18.3.5 Relief teams should be formed based on the requirement and should include representatives of the medical, personnel, engineering, electrical, telecommunication and commercial departments. Representatives of Accounts department should also be included to facilitate cash purchase of relief materials and disbursement of cash advance. The Relief team would be required to provide succor to the affected persons at railway stations and railway colonies. Adequate amount of cash may have to be arranged from other places to enable the relief teams to carry out their duties smoothly.

18.3.6 Relief effort should start with mobilising materials and manpower as soon as the assessment reports start coming in. The relief supplies would include medicines, food, provisions, water, kerosene oils and stoves, match sticks, candles, blankets and tents.

18.3.7 The restoration effort would be directed towards re-commissioning the communication network, emergency electric and water supply and restoration of rail working. It would be necessary to make urgent purchase/hire of items like portable generators, pumps, power cables, signal cables, etc. Provisioning of VHF sets for station to station communication for train working on ‘paper line clear’ should be made till a more permanent arrangement is organised. Availability of sufficient cash is essential for spot purchase or contracting of essential supplies and equipment. This could be made available from station earnings of larger stations. The Divisional plan for disaster management should cater for this requirement for Divisions falling in seismic zones IV and V.

18.3.8 The divisions falling in seismic zones I and II should have details of availability of heavy earth moving equipment, road cranes, etc. so that the same could be requisitioned without delay. Railways should also be in a position to move such equipment from outside the division if need arises.

18.3.9 Past experience shows that resources available for restoration are scarce and whatever is available, the rates are exorbitant. Purchases made in such a situation are bound to be at much higher rate than normal. In such special circumstances, there is a strong case for dispensing with the normal purchase and contracting procedures for relief supplies and restoration work. The DRM is required to take quick action, as delays in rescue and restoration work are unacceptable. Therefore, the decision taken in this connection by the DRMs should not be subjected to the normal scrutiny so that quick decisions regarding purchases and contract can be taken without fear of questioning at a later stage. The DRMs must be suitably empowered with special financial powers (works matters, stores matters and miscellaneous matters) to effectively deal with emergencies on a war footing.

18.3.10 In case of earthquake disasters, Railways will need assistance of State Government in a number of areas to provide relief to their staff and their families and in restoration of Railway system. Similarly, for transport of relief supplies for civil administration or movement of people, Railways and District Administration have to work together. An MOU may be entered into between Railway Administration and State Govt. defining the role of both administrations in all such situations.

18.3.11 Once the rail working has been restored and the Railways are in position to receive relief trains, it would be necessary to make special arrangements for handling of relief materials. Relief materials are booked to the District Collectors. Railways plan for Disaster Management should include procedures for expeditious clearance and delivery of relief materials. The divisional plan should include list of stations in Zone 4 & 5 where relief supplies can be received.

18.3.12 Gujarat earthquake experience clearly showed the need for additional road transport for movement of officers and staff and for transport of materials. These may not be available locally as whatever is available may have been requisitioned by the civil administration. It will be easier for railways to seek assistance of the State Government once it is provided for in the MOU. Road vehicles may also be diverted from neighboring railway divisions for use in the affected areas.

18.3.13 For rescue of persons trapped inside collapsed buildings, specially trained rescue teams with specialized equipment are required. The Railways do not have such trained manpower or equipment. The State Government has access to such teams. It is very important that close liaison is maintained with the District Collector so that the required assistance is made available for early rescue of passengers and staff and also for early restoration of Railway infrastructure.

18.3.14 As markets are not expected to open for several days, there would be need to arrange provisions for the affected families. NGOs usually provide such support. State Government/District Administration’s assistance should be sought for this purpose. GM, Western Railway and the President of WRSSC had led teams of volunteers for distribution of relief brought in by two VPUs.

18.3.15 Railways can also provide, as they did in the case of Gujarat earthquake, mobile medical facilities for use of civilians. Self-propelled mobile medical units should be mobilised and moved to the affected areas. This assistance should be arranged in consultation with the State authorities.

18.4 LAND/HILL SLIDE

When a huge land/Rock. Mass suddenly gets displaced from its position and comes down with tremendous force it can cause intensive damage to Rly. Track, Buildings and other Railway Installations with blocking of traffic movement. It can also cause loss of Human Life. This can be caused due to prolonged torrential rain, Blasting of rock nearby and earth quake etc.

Actions to be taken in during Land/Hill Slide

18.4.1 After receiving the massage from the concerning Station Master under whose jurisdiction the Section is situated, the Section Controller will inform concerning Operating Officer to stop the movement of trains in the adjacent sections and inform DRM/ADRM, Sr.DEN(Co-ord) (through Engg. Control), Sr.DME, Sr.DEE(OP), DSC and other concerning Branch Officers.

18.4.2 DRM with Sr.DEN(Co-ord) and Sectional DEN will proceed to site. ART/MRT will be ordered, if required.

18.4.3 Sr.DEN(Co-ord) will requisition earth moving equipments including, Pay loader, JCB, Dozer, Proclains & Jack Hammer Dumper & Trucks from the nearest available Railways & Non-Railway sources.

18.4.4 Licensed Rock Blasting staff, with sufficient quantity of explosive & detonators, Rock drills, Rock drilling equipments and Air compressors available from the nearest sources also should be rushed to the site.

18.4.5 DRM, after getting detailed information from site will seek the help of Army, Boarder Road Organization Units, as the case may be.

18.4.6 Sufficient quantity of explosive & detonators has to be sent to the site for replenishment.

18.4.7 The residents of the nearby houses/Staff quarters must be evacuated to safer places before starting the Blasting of Rocks.

18.4.8 Only trained experts having license to handle explosive should only be deployed for rock blasting.

18.4.9 Requisite quantity of P.Way material should be kept ready in the nearest station to move to the site incase the P.Way is damaged.

18.4.10 Similarly, Signalling, Elect., TRD staff also should be kept in readiness with man & materials for immediate repair of installation.

18.4.11 Sufficient number of labourers to be requisitioned and deployed at site to help in clearing the landmass.

18.4.12 Causality/injured persons/staff should be shifted to nearest Hospital for treatment. In case of any casualty Para No.7.5 of Chapter-7 should be followed.

Home Page Contents Previous Page Next Page