Experts have said that Nepal should learn a lesson from the recent devastating quake that hit Java province of Indonesia and immediately adopt precautionary measures.

Many are still struggling to come to terms with the devastation. (Photo source : AP)
The devastating quake of the magnitude 6.3 on the Richter scale that shook the Indonesian island of Java on Saturday this weekend has so far killed around 5,800 people and left more than 100,000 homeless.

The devastating quake is at least the fourth geological disaster to strike Indonesia over the last 18 months.

On December 26, 2004, the Indonesian island of Sumatra was hit by the largest earthquake the world had seen in 40 years—9.3 in the Richter scale.

The massive quake triggered a tsunami that left about 131,000 dead in Indonesia alone. That event was followed on March 28, 2005, by another enormous earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.7, sparking fears of a second tsunami. But the deadly wave didn’t materialize, and the death toll stood at around 320.

Should it matter for Nepal at all?

Yes, it should since Nepal is among the countries with very high risk of earthquake, say experts.

Amod Mani Dixit, executive director of the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET)
(Photo source : nset.org.np)

Talking to Nepalnews on Wednesday, Amod Mani Dixit, executive director of the National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) said that Nepal should be prepared to cope the challenges of earthquake since recent major earthquakes in other countries suggest that the risk is nearing to Nepal.

“Though recent political developments in our country has pushed the issue of threat of earthquake into shadow, the result might be quite dangerous. So, all should start to adopt precautionary measures to be safe from the risk of earthquake,” he added.

According to studies, more than 40,000 people might die and over 200,000 will be injured in the capital valley alone if Nepal is hit by an earthquake of 6.3 Richter scale or more.

And, experts say a big earthquake is overdue in Nepal.

Rather than expecting the government to do things for minimizing the risks, experts say every citizen in the country should be aware and adopt necessary measures for personal safety.

Dixit demanded that the government should immediately implement the building construction code and raise awareness at all levels regarding risks of an earthquake.

Stating that the policies adopted by Nepal are very old, Dixit suggested that new policies should be formulated and policy of disaster management should be linked up with development policies.

In Nepal, the activities of the government are limited only in the rescue and relief areas, “The government should form a National Disaster Management Authority at the Prime Minister’s Office to raise awareness and increase preparedness to cope the challenge from the quake,” said Dixit.

So, what is the lesson earthquake prone Nepal should learn from Indonesia? According to Dixit, Nepal should learn a lesson that use of iron rods and heavy roof could increase the risk and act accordingly. “Proper attention should be paid in construction activities. All have to make sure that the construction work they are undertaking will be safe even after the earthquake,” Dixit added.

The major earthquake of January 16, 1934 measuring 8.4 on the Richter scale – that hit Kathmandu and surrounding areas– claimed the lives pf some 5,000 people. More than 25,000 people were injured and around 60,000 houses destroyed.

Thousands of people were killed in Pakistan and India in a major earthquake that hit bordering areas of the two South Asian countries in last October.

According to experts, only 10 percent houses in Nepal are safe from imminent earthquake. Of the remaining 90 percent of buildings, 25 percent have good design but have questionable constructions. And the rest of the buildings in the country are neither properly designed nor properly constructed.

A survey conducted by the NSET suggested that in case of a quake measuring 6.5 or over on the Richter scale hitting the country, Kathmandu valley would suffer the most.

The survey estimated that more than half of the bridges in the city would be heavily damaged and six in 10 buildings would be dismantled.

The situation could turn worse if the entire water, sewerage, telephone and electric power systems were to collapse.

The study further warned that the death toll induced by such an earthquake would stand somewhere around 40 thousand and injured people requiring medical treatment would run to over hundreds of thousands in the valley.

Waking up to the damage caused by earthquakes, authorities recently announced implementation of a building code in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts. But it is yet to be implemented properly.

Dixit said that absence of people’s representatives at the local level could be a main reason for not implementing the code effectively and expressed the hope that the new political development of the country would have some positive result in this regard.

As many as 1,000 earthquakes, ranging from two to five in magnitude on the Richter scale are recorded in Nepal each year.

Nepal could, hence, choose to ignore lessons from the Indonesian quake at its own peril.