In view of the earthquake threat in Tripura which is sitting on highly vulnerable seismic Zone 5 state government has undertaken several projects to ensure not only disaster mitigation, and fall out management but also building quake resistant facilities.
In fact the state government is also being fully supported by the Union government which has Tripura apart from Delhi and Uttarakhand for implementing pilot projects on earthquake resilient buildings, especially those which house important departments or services.
While some school buildings are now put under earthquake resisting retrofitting, a project is also afoot with World Bank funding. Sources said, World Bank funded National Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project of NDMA- a flagship project- is already in the pipeline.
Under this project as many as 67 buildings that house important departments, four important bridges and seven overhead water tanks will undergo retrofitting. A DPR is presently being prepared with consultant with reputed institutions and agencies in this regard. The identification of the facilities have been done with the help of PWD. Apart from retrofitting the other components of the project are seismic analysis, training of 50 practicing engineers and 50 masons/artisans on earthquake risk management, construction of one technology demonstration unit on showing earthquake resistant features and generating public awareness on earthquake safety. Sources said, at first phase Rs 3 crore has been allocated for the purpose.
Apart from that the state government is also imparting training to the engineers and masons at Institution of Engineers while four buildings –are being retrofitted to make them earthquake resistant. These building are -Melaghar Girls HS School, Mandaibazar HS School, Ranirbazar PHC and PWD buildings at Netaji Chowmuhani. State Emergency Operation Centre at capital complex is playing key role in demonstration etc.
Sources said that the Melaghar HS School is the first fully retrofitted school in Tripura. Earlier a part of Sukhamoy School at Usha Bazar was retrofitted in 2015.
