Crisis management

ASENSE of fear and anxiety has gripped the country following the earthquake in Gujarat on January 26, with experts predicting after-shocks for some more months and reports of mild tremors occurring in parts of Kerala, West Bengal and Sikkim pouring in. There is a lot of confusion over what to do when an earthquake occurs.

One common misconception is that you should run out of the buildings for safety, whereas what you should do is just the opposite. Many fleeing people have been killed in the recent quake because of falling objects.

For information on what to do in the event of an earthquake, log in to website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the United States at www.fema.gov.

The website of the Seismic Safety Commission of the State of California has also useful information. "We can't prevent earthquakes. But by preparing to face such a disaster, we can save lives and reduce damage," is the motto of the commission put up on www.seismic.ca.gov. A booklet, available for $3.25 from the commission, titled 'The Homeowners Guide to Earthquake Safety' can be obtained through the site.

The major issues touched upon in the booklet include masonry and the issue of foundation, appropriate for disaster mitigation and practical information on repairs to old buildings.

A detailed "home earthquake plan" is found on the American Red Cross website (www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/earth.html).

Information on how to prepare a disaster supplies list is provided. The most interesting part is the attempt to educate children about prevention of damage to person and property during and after a quake. The 'Be Ready 1-2-3' plan for kids of four to seven years age group and the 'Notagains' CD-ROM for the 8-11 group are worth the study. Through guided virtual tours of the Notagain's family, children can learn life-saving skills.

At the macro level, however, one is bothered about the neighbours, society and the community as a whole. And the proper authority to take concrete and timely action is the government of the day. The Government of India as well as the State Governments concerned need to take up earthquake safety measures for towns and cities on a priority basis. One place to look for help is the web.

The website of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), www.unisdr.org, contains case studies of many cities where experts have discussed the plans in the light of experience gained. The reduction of urban risk in the case of Mumbai has also been outlined.

For learning more about the science of earthquakes, one of the best sites is http://explorezone.com/earth/earthquakes.htm. Here, one gets a graphical description of how a quake is formed and how the seismic waves act.

The formation of subduction zones along the boundaries of faults, 'dip-slip fault' where two blocks of earth thrust against each other, 'strike slip-fault' where two blocks slide against each other, and liquefaction in which loose sand and rocks are buried, are well-presented to explain quake origins.

Apart from links to quake websites and resources on the net, the site has a news zone in which the latest information about the quakes is given.

If all this information presented fails to quench your thirst for knowledge, why don't you ask a geologist! Just log on to http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/docs/ask-a-ge.html/, or simply e-mail Ask-A-Geologist@usgs.gov.

(Compiled by K. Kirubanidhi)

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