Taking mild quakes seriously

Another mild quake jolted Bangladesh Monday last. The quake, measured at 5.2 magnitudes on the Richter scale, hit India's Assam and was felt in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. Although no significant damage has been reported, experts have noted how earthquakes with magnitudes of 7 or higher have historically occurred in the region roughly every 150 years and that Bangladesh might be due for one. Besides, at least 34 mild quakes were reportedly felt in and around the country in the past two months. It is, no doubt, a worrying sign. All these quakes, as experts say, indicate the possibility of a major earthquake in the country. However, are we prepared enough to face such a natural disaster? It seems whenever there is an incident of earthquake, we become aware of it for some days. And then, as usual, we forget it entirely. We really need to take all-out preparations before anything bad happens to us.

No building in Dhaka city should be allowed to construct without following the earthquake-resistant building code. The buildings that are risky should be identified and marked by the authorities concerned. Earlier, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) suggested marking riskier buildings 'red' and less risky ones 'green'. However, this suggestion has not yet been implemented. Lessons learnt from earthquakes in other countries should be taken into account and we should make arrangements to mitigate the risks and losses in case any earthquake of higher magnitude strikes. Regular drilling to train people about what to do during an earthquake should also be organised on a regular basis. Arranging discussion sessions at community levels such as at mosques, temples, parks, and other places of a neighbourhood can also be helpful. And more importantly, we must take these mild quakes seriously and get prepared to face a major one.

MA Islam,

Dhanmondi, Dhaka