One Day Seminar On Earthquake Preparedness

Like the past few years, GSP Museum, observed May 31 as Earthquake Remembrance Day in memory 1935 Quetta Earthquake this year too. Special lectures are delivered on this memorial day at the GSP Museum to stress the need for hazard assessment, awareness programs, disaster mitigation, prevention, preparedness and emergency relief & rescue trainings at the grass root level. A group of 150 students of the Geography Department, Govt. Degree College for Women visited the GSP Museum to mark the Earthquake Memorial Day and another group of 60 students from the Political Science Department of this college visited later on the GSP Museum. The curator of the museum briefed the delegates about department’s role in mineral exploration, its achievements and remarkable paleontological discoveries. The plate tectonics theory and seismic risk factor was also explained to the audience. The students and faculty took a keen interest in these deliberations and requested the GSP Museum to arrange such type of lecture at their college auditorium for a wider audience.

Joint educational programs and arranging popular geoscietntific lectures are another feature of GSP Museum’s portfolio and on the invitation of Principal, Government Degree College for Women Quetta, the Museum Curator conducted a one day seminar at their college. Mr. Mehtabur Rehman, Geophysicst, and Asif Nazeer Rana, Museum Curator delivered geoscientific lectures on “Seismotectonics of Pakistan” and “Earthquake Preparedness” respectively as guest speakers at Girls College on June 28th. The museum curator gave a detailed presentation to more than two thousand students and faculty in attendance on the GSP’s unique and one of its kinds Geological Museum. Highlighting the fact that Quetta, Chaman and Sibbi-Harnai areas are located in earthquake prone region in a major disaster zone, the audience were told that a policy framework to deal with any natural or man caused catastrophe is lacking. The need was stressed to stop disasters to happen, gaps in the relief and rescue operation should be bridged with coordination. Speaking at the occasion, they said that an earthquake of even moderate intensity can cause a major disaster in big towns like Quetta and Karachi not because nature is unkind to them but due to rapid urbanization because they are vulnerable to natural catastrophes. In order to manage a natural disaster and mitigate the huge losses of life and property, chalking out an effective coordination program among different federal and provincial departments and NGOs must be made a key factor. It was suggested that rescue drills may be conducted at educational institutions, busy market areas and government office building complexes. This was the first time that a one day seminar was held at Girls College to highlight disaster management program which should be rescue and rehabilitation oriented as the earthquakes neither can be prevented nor predicted.

Mr Mehtab-ur-Rehman gave a detailed presentation on the seismicity of Pakistan and the seismic risk factors. He told the audience that most earthquakes are caused by sudden slippage of blocks along geologic faults because of movement of tectonic plates but it is not the tremor which kills humans, the poorly designed buildings do. The speakers told that adequate earthquake and fire precautions are usually not taken into account when high rise buildings are constructed in big cities like Quetta and Karachi. The multi storey shopping plazas and medical complexes being built in the Quetta valley these days do not give priority to parking spaces, flame detectors, emergency alarms, fire extinguishers for passive protection, emergency exits, hydrants and compartmentalization of buildings. Being located in the vicinity of active geological faults, Quetta and Karachi are under constant threat of an earthquake. This should serve as an incentive for builders and developers to start considering with this in mind when designing new buildings. The seminar was told that it is feared that if mushrooming construction of inferior quality continues unchecked in the city, half the newly constructed buildings will crumble in 20-30 years with just a moderate earthquake hitting the region. The speakers stressed the need to re-enforce the existing buildings and strictly follow the building code in construction of new buildings.

The GSP geoscientists said that over the last couple of years, the intensity and frequency of natural calamities have increased substantially in this part of the world but we have not yet succeeded in developing an institutional framework to respond to recurring disasters in a systematic way. So far the approach seems to be very ad hoc. They cited the recent examples of river floods in the country which is a natural phenomena that can be monitored and predicted well before hand to get oneself well prepared. Like always, floods came unannounced. Like always, there was no preparation except mere lip service. Like always people complained of inadequate relief activity, adding to the people’s difficulties and miseries. This lethargic approach of a standard post catastrophe story, only brings the response when the disaster had struck in the form of relief operations. The GSP geoscientists underscored the need for sustainable solutions to cope with earthquakes and other natural calamities in reducing losses, trainings and paying a little now which can save a lot later. The earthscientists told the audience that learning to live in disaster zones means actively and continuously monitoring fault lines and building better designed structures that can withstand earth tremors. What is needed is to develop a viable institutional structure with capacity of assessing probabilities and specifying risk areas in advance. Based on such assessment, a comprehensive planning can be developed with well defined coordination mechanism and clear roles and responsibilities. An efficient management and command system at the core level can integrate and direct different functioning arms towards the same end disaster preparedness, preventive measures and risk management. During Q&A session after the lectures, the GSP geoscientists told the students what they should do in case of an earthquake.

It may be recalled that the GSP Museum has been conducting such types of geoscientific lectures on popular topics by inviting guest speakers on several occasions. The proceedings of the previous one day seminar on Earthquake Preparedness were also conveyed to the Quetta City Nazim who convened a meeting on June 03, 2004, and earmarked four acres in Baleli for the establishment of a Crises Management Center to tackle with natural calamities and emergency situations in line with GSP ‘s recommendations. The need for an early completion of disaster management cell to deal with various calamities such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, fires, epidemics, famines was also stressed in this one day seminar at Girls College.

The special events commemorated by the museum like International Family Day on May 15th, The World Museum Day on May 18th and Earthquake Memorial Day on May 31st gott a wide coverage in the electronic and print media projecting a positive image of the GSP. These serious efforts being made by GSP Museum in improving the image and dignity of the department have successfully brought the GSP’s activities and achievements to the limelight through regular interaction with the media, government functionaries, student community and general public. Now the department has regained its forefront position as a premier research department engaged in all fields of earth sciences and every organization looks forward to GSP for every possible solution concerning natural resources, hazard mitigation, groundwater resources etc.