Nepal celebrated the 11th National Earthquake Safety Day with the slogan of ‘Safe Behaviour and Strong Residence: Increase Community’s Earthquake Resilience’ on January 15. A joint program was organised at Bhugol Park, Kathmandu with the involvement of all key governmental and non governmental actors related with disaster. Three days exhibition has also been kicked off at the same venue in a bid to increase public awareness about earthquake.

Nepal celebrates the National Earthquake Safety Day on January 15 to recall the devastative earthquake of 8.3 rector scale of 1934 which claimed the lives of 8,500 people and a quarter of all houses were destroyed.

Addressing a main function held to mark the day, Minister for Industry Ashtalaxmi Shakya said the government\'s efforts would not only be adequate to mitigate risks of quake, calling on concerned organizations efforts to check negative consequences. “The government alone cannot check the risk of destruction from earthquake but help from every sector and precaution can minimize the impacts,” she added. Minister Shakya said the government is planning to strengthen the Department of Mines and Geology so as to make it easier to know seismic records beforehand and plan accordingly.

Narayan Gopal Malego, chief executive officer of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), said that building code must be made mandatory for all. “But the code is yet to be implemented well,” he confessed.

Amod Mani Dixit, general secretary and acting director of NSET-N, demanded formation of a disaster risk management authority to manage and minimize the natural disasters.

“Disaster Reduction Policy, which is awaiting cabinet nod, would be instrumental to minimise the risk of disasters if implemented sincerely,” he said. “Nepal is 11th vulnerable countries in the world in terms of risks of earthquakes. The houses built around 50 years ago are unmanaged and on the verge of collapse and they need to be restructured.”

Robert Piper, representative of UNDP, asked the government to approve the disaster reduction policy at the earliest. He said every family should have ‘earthquake plan’ to minimize the risks of earthquake. Piper warned that if an earthquake of similar magnitude were to hit Kathmandu, its impact would be enormous. Thousands would be killed and thousands of buildings would collapse. \"In 60 seconds Kathmandu is most likely to face far more deaths than those in the past 15 years and the task of building a New Nepal would take step one generation back,\" said Piper.

Gautam Dongol, representative of Bhugal Park Conservation Committee said that the population in the capital has gone up by 40 times since the 1934 earthquake and the number of houses has gone up drastically but the government is still not serious about preserving open spaces. Dongol demanded that the government declare Bhugol Park as National Earthquake Park so that locals could save themselves in case an earthquake hits the capital.

Participants at a programme have also practiced of reducing risks of quake. As soon as the clock ticked 2.24 p.m., all the dignitaries on the dais -- of a programme to mark National Earthquake Safety Day (NESD) — from Minister for Industries Asta Laxmi Shakya, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Piper to secretaries of the ministries kneeled down; their heads bowed holding the leg of a nearby table or chair.

The audiences too followed suit. That lasted for a minute. They were all practicing how to protect themselves during earthquake.

According to Nepal Red Cross Society\'s Earthquake Contingency Plan 2008, an earthquake measuring 7-8 on the Richter scale could kill up to 50,000 people, injure 100,000 and destroy 60 percent of buildings, leaving 900,000 homeless.

On the occasion of National Earthquake Day, Building Technology and Research Training Center, Hetauda, organized a rally. Representatives of government, non-governmental offices along with social workers and journalists took part in the rally.

The rally concluded at District Development Committee (DDC)\'s convention hall after making Hatauda Bazaar round. At the programme, Chief District Officer of Hatauda Anil Kumar Pande stressed on building earthquake resistant buildings.

(Posted on 17th January, 2009)

Source: nepaldisaster.org