About UEVRP
About the project:
The project is targeted for a period of four years from 2004 to 2007, and essentially aims at strengthening capacities of communities, urban local bodies and the administration in mitigation, preparedness and response in 38 cities in India. These cities have been chosen on the criteria of being located in Seismic Zone III, IV or V, with more than half a million population. The project would demonstrate a suitable model for mainstreaming of earthquake risk management initiatives at all levels and help reduce seismic risk in the most earthquake-prone urban areas in India. The project shall essentially contribute to minimizing losses to developmental gains by helping communities at risk to be better prepared.
Seismic Zone Map of India, showing the location of 38 cities under the UEVRP
* Intensity is here considered a classification of the severity of the ground shaking on the basis of observed effects in a limited area and is measured in the MSK Scale ranging from I to XII
Zone
Intensities* of Earthquakes in each Zone
II
This zone is susceptible to earthquakes that can be felt by all and may frighten people enough to run outdoors. Dishes and glassware break, books fall down, heavy furniture gets moved. Few instances of fallen plaster and some damage to buildings may also be observed. (Intensity: I to VI)
III
In Zone III, earthquakes of higher intensity may be felt. Earthquakes that frightens everyone, making it difficult for people to stand. Even people in moving vehicles may feel such quakes. Structures/buildings of good design and construction suffer slight damage, while poorly designed /built ones suffer considerable damages. (Intensity: VII)
IV
This zone is susceptible to strong earthquakes, which create panic all over, moving even heavy furniture. Such earthquakes could cause moderate damage in well designed/built structures/buildings, while poorly built structures suffer great damages. Other effects could be landslides on steep slopes, cracks in ground up to widths of a few centimetres and water in lakes could become turbid. (Intensity: VIII)
V
This is the maximum risk zone in the country and is susceptible to great earthquakes. Quakes that can cause total panic and considerable damage to life and property. Considerable damages happen even in specially designed structures. Great damage in buildings with partial or total collapse. Railway tracks bend and roadways get damaged; ground cracks to widths of several cm, underground pipes break, landslides, rockfalls and mud flows occur, large waves in water. Where intensities exceed XI, total destruction may be caused with changes in landscape that could even change the courses of rivers. (Intensity: IX and above)
Zone III – Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Surat, Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Nashik, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Asansol, Kolkata, Agra, Varanasi, Bareilly, Lucknow, Kanpur, Indore, Jabalpur, Vijayawada, Dhanbad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Trivandrum.
Zone IV – Dehradun, New Delhi, Jamnagar, Patna, Meerut, Jammu, Amritsar and Jalandhar
Zone V – Guwahati and Srinagar.
Goal
Sustainable reduction in Earthquake Risk in the most earthquake-prone urban areas across the country.
Objectives
· Create awareness among government functionaries, technical institutions, NGOs, CBOs and communities about earthquake vulnerability and possible preventive actions.
· Development and Institutionalization of Earthquake Preparedness and Response Plans and practicing these through mock drills.
· Development of regulatory framework (techno-legal regime) to promote safe construction and systems to ensure compliance.
· Capacity building of practicing Engineers, Architect, Builders, Contractors & other professionals dealing with emergency response.
· Networking knowledge on best practices and tools for effective earthquake risk management, including creation of information systems containing inventory of resources for emergency operations.
Outcomes of the programme
The following are the direct outcomes of the programme:
· Enhanced capacities in Ministry of Home Affairs for disaster risk management.
· Enhanced capacity building of the State nodal agency and implementing agencies for earth quake risk management.
· Administrative and institutional framework for earthquake risk management across 38 cities in the country.
· Capacity building in earthquake risk management at state, district, city, ward and community level including strengthening of various resource institutions and establishing of linkages.
· Awareness on earthquake risk among functionaries of Urban Local bodies.
· Preparedness and response plan both at the ward and city level.
· Training and capacity building for engineers/architects and builders in safe building constructions.
· Compulsory certification courses for practicing engineers and architects including detailed course curriculum.
· Capacity building activities for all stakeholders including civil society organizations in the search and rescue, first aid, relief and restoration in post earthquake recovery situations.
· Support to generate awareness among school students and schedule to drills in disaster prevention and response for schools and promote programme such as School Safety and Awareness Programme (SSAP).
· Review & amendment of the existing zoning regulations, building codes and byelaws and sensitization of building experts about the same. Review of enforcement mechanisms for the byelaws etc.
· Adoption of preventive maintenance policies and action towards earthquake safety in hospitals and key public institutions.
· Manuals, training modules, SOPs and awareness strategies to be made available for replication in other areas.
· Integration of vulnerability reduction initiatives into development programmes and development plans of the city.
· Reduction of expenditure on disaster relief and reconstruction with an increased investment in preparedness measures.
Implementation Mechanism
The city of Vijayawada falls under seismic zone III (moderate risk zone) and hence has been selected for the project implementation. The city nodal agency is Municipal Corporation of Vijayawada. UNDP is facilitating and supporting the project by human and financial resources. Project Officer from UNDP, attached to the city nodal agency facilitates the project implementation. A City Disaster Management Committee has been constituted under the project, with four taskforces to carry out regular activities of the project.
