The recent earthquake with its epicenter in Gangtok, Sikkim has once again raised the question of how safe is Northeast India. The earthquake zoning map of India divides India into 4 seismic zones (Zone 2, 3, 4 and 5). Out of these four zones, Zone 5 expects the highest level of seismicity and is known as the very high damage risk zone . Northeastern India falls in this Zone 5 and hence there is always a chance of more earthquakes here than in other parts of the country.
The effect in Gangtok and other parts of Sikkim has been tremendous. Chunky Dadul while speaking to us from Gangtok enumerated how the whole family had to spend their night in the streets on the day of the earthquakes. The scenes coming in from Sikkim are heart wrenching. One of the heartening sides of the earthquake has been that the rescue and relief operations have been fast but the difficult terrain has made it extremely difficult to approach far off locations notably the villages located in Dzongu. But all kudos to the people of Sikkim for standing up bravely and helping each other.
This earthquake has also rasied questions on how safe is Guwahati considering the number of multi storied buildings that have come up in the last few years. The most important aspect is that the permission is granted to the builder on the plan and specifications that he puts up in paper but once the building has been constructed who validates whether the safety norms are in place, has the building being built on the GMDA guidelines, etc.If you drive around Guwahati these days all you will see is multi storied buildings coming up everywhere including the hills. The question is how safe are these. Can they withstand serious natural calamities? This trend has started in Jorhat as well.
The GMDA seems to have also suddenly woken up to the perils of high seismic zones and they have decided to go for a Technical audit of around 1500 multi storey buildings which were granted permission in the last ten years. They have shortlisted a firm for this work and this is expected to commence shortly. AssamTimes will continue to highlight safety issues in the days to come. We also invite our reader’s valuable opinions on how to make Assam and especially Guwahati city safe.
16 May 2008 - 10:30pm | editor
Altogether 14 people, including 13 NSCN cadres were killed during a fierce fighting between two NSCN factions on Friday near Dimapur. According to information, the group clash took place in the...
14 May 2008 - 9:00pm | editor
Anandita Bora of Dibrugarh Salt Brook Academy and Nitul Khataniar of Cotton College have jointly toppped the Higher Secondary examination in science while the same position in arts and commerce...
24 Mar 2017 - 8:28pm | Shajid Khan
A power department employee Sujit Barman (40) working under Tangla sub-division APDCL at Hattigarh of Udalguri on contractual basis was electrocuted in Teliapara of Udalguri on Thursday. Reportedly...
19 Jan 2008 - 11:59am | swapan
Assam's first photo-journalist and cine director Amulya Manna passed away at Nagaon on 19-01-08 at the age of 80. He left behind his wife, one daughter and three sons.Besides being involved in the...
Arrested media baron Manoranjana Sinh is undergoing tretment at a local hospital in Kolkata. CBI officials probing Saradha scam rushed her to the hospital when she complained breathing difficulties during the custodial interrogation.She was to be produced before a special court in Alipore on Tuesday as the CBI remand expired. CBI officials were expected to seek her in their remand for a few again.
Assam Don Bosco University and Educational Leadership are hosting a national conference in collaboration with Mizoram University department of Mass Communication. Dr. K. V. Nagaraj, Professor at Mizoram University and Former Pro Vice Chancellor addressed ADBU students of mass communication and educational leadership on Wednesday.The conference is being organized in collaboration with Mizoram University Mass Communication department and ADBU Departments of Educational Leadership and Mass Communication from November 2 and 3.A Pre-conference Colloquium for students and research scholars is scheduled for October 31 on ‘Media, Culture and Society.’
The city based media persons are suffering from various pain related ailments relating to their neck, shoulder and backs. It was found during a daylong physiotherapy camp, which was organized at Guwahati Press Club on 12 September 2015.Organized by the College of Physiotherapy and Medical Sciences Rehabilitation & Research Centre, Bamunimaidam (a unit of Purbanchal Educational Welfare Society), the camp covered more than 50 scribes who were offered on spot treatment and consultancies.Attended by physicians Dr Trailokya Saikia & Dr NN Sarma with physiotherapists Dr Ujwal Bhattacharya, Dr Abhijit Kalita, Dr Pooja Saikia and Dr Kritika Boruah, the camp also helped the scribes to check...
A NDFB-S rebel identified as Buddhiram Basumatary alias Birkw of Amteka Debrabil in Chirang district was apprehanded from Karigaon area in Kokrajhar by security forces belonging to the Army on Sunday morning. One factory made 7.65 mm pistol with three live rounds amunitions was recovered from him. He was later handed over to Kokrajhar police.
Congress is gearing up to form the Tiwa Autonomous Council after the ruling party won 15 out of 31 seats. The party is trying to get the support of one candidate to complete the formality. “We are in touch with several candidates who have assured us support to form the council,” said a senior Congress leader. The party needs 16 seats to formally form the council. The ruling party falls short of one seat. A senior party leader told ne24 that it would be a problem for the party since several candidates are in touch with them. The ruling party got 15 seats while the Ramakanta Deori-led Tiwa Aikya Manch got 10 seats. BJP had to remain satisfied with only 3 seats while AGP got 2 seats.
The Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) in association with Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Club of India (New Delhi), Mumbai Press Club and Indian Federation of Working Journalists have organized a two day national consultation on media freedom and the law on 8 & 9 August next.To be held at New Delhi Press Club, the national meet is expected to highlight the burning issues relating to the frequent attacks on journalists, sexual harassment and criminal defamation cases against the media persons and also appropriate response to those attacks on press freedom including legal measures.Senior journalist and media commentators like Paranjoy Guha Thakurtha, Bharat...
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam passed away at Shillong on Monday. He collasped at a function in Indian Institute of Management Shillong duering a lecture. He was rushed to the ICU of Bethani Hospital where he was declared dead. He was 83. Condolence from variuosusection of people and leaders are pouring in.Deeply saddened at the sudden demise of the former president of India Dr. APAJ Abdul Kalam. He was an inspiration to an entire generation.— Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) July 27, 2015Death of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is a great loss to the country. He was a common men's President and an icon of the young generation...— Tarun Gogoi (@tarun_gogoi) July 27, 2015RIP #APJ...
A non resident Indian (NRI) has taken upon himself the mission of paying back to society by spending his annual vacation and home visit giving motivational lectures to school and college students. He has been doing this for the past 33 years.“I do not do it for the money. It is my way of paying back to society for the many blessings which I have received over the years,” confessed Dr. George Kallingal a Professor Emeritus at University of Guam (USA) who visited East and northeast India spending time in schools and colleges in Bengal, Assam and neighbouring Meghalaya.His hour-long presentation combined academic achievement, spirituality, and realities of young people into sharp perspective....
As many as 3600 BJP leaders and workers are waiting to be contested from 126 assembly constituencies early next year. State BJP president Siddharth Bhattacharya on Wednesday submitted before the party’s central leadership the list of the ticket aspirants in New Delhi.BJP sources told Assam Times that the state unit has forwarded all applications to the party leadership for finalizing 126 candidates. The party leadership is believed to have been deploying a panel of top leaders to study the winning ability of the applicants.
Prime minister Narendra Modi is facing flak across the state for not appointing Rupsikha Bora as OIL chief. Even after the public enterprises selection committee shortlisted the name of the senior finance director three months back, the prime minister’s office did not prefer the first one chartered accountant from the north east as OIL chairperson and managing director.In his letter, Chief minister Tarun Gogoi urged prime minister Narendra Modi to confirm Bora’s appointment in the helm of OIL.Many local organizations in the state staged dharna in front of the OIL headquarters in Duliajan alleging PMO’s discrimination.A section of the protesters further burnt the effigy of the prime...
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