Earthquake vulnerability reduction orientation programme
Mayor R. Venkatachalam inaugurating an earthquake vulnerability reduction orientation programme for councillors in the city on Wednesday.A programme to provide Coimbatore Corporation councillors orientation on disaster preparedness here on Wednesday stressed damage containing and rescue measures if an earthquake struck the city.The programme was held under the Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Project. The project is a joint effort of the Central Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the State Government’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Department. The programme was being held in 38 cities coming under various quake-vulnerable zones in the country. Apart from councillors, it was being held to equip architects, planners, engineers and also educational institutions on how to minimise damage during disasters.State Government and UNDP officials explained to the councillors the impact of earthquake, especially in view of Coimbatore coming under the seismic zone III, also known as moderate quake zone. Such zones could experience quakes of moderate intensity, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale.Mayor R. Venkatachalam inaugurated the programme. Deputy Mayor N. Karthik and City Engineer V. Raju were among those who attended it. The Mayor said that the meeting called upon the councillors to educate the people on methods of disaster mitigation.A presentation showed how lives and property could be saved or how the loss of these could be minimised.
The Mayor said the meeting also explained the importance of ward-wise committees for providing information after a disaster, search and rescue operations, first aid, for water and sanitation and also retrieving dead bodies. Taking shelter in safe place during tremors and switching off gas and power supply were steps that formed a Family Disaster Preparedness Plan, it was said at the presentation.
