17 Odisha Districts Under Seismic Fault Zone

Bhubaneswar: A recent survey by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and different meteorological organizations has revealed that more than 50 per cent of the area in Odisha is under the seismic fault zone.

According to the survey, about 17 districts including 43 urban localities and several villages of these districts in the state with a population of about 80 lakh are under the seismic zone-2 and 3.

Among the 43 urban localities, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Talcher, Balasore, Dhenkanal and Paradip and the adjoining villages are under the seismic zone.

Seismic experts have said that the Mahanadi and Brahmani delta areas come under zone-3, which is classified as the moderate damage risk zone due to constant friction between tectonic plates.

Following a request from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Building Materials Technology Promotion Counselling with the assistance of the GSI and different meteorological organizations is preparing seismic maps of the seismic zones with stress on the construction of earthquake-resistant houses and buildings.

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority, before 2000, had a provision for approval of the construction of buildings not exceeding the height of the high-rise buildings beyond 33 metres. However, acting on the GSI report it had changed the rules of the provision in 2001 limiting the height of the high-rise buildings to 27 metres. Though it changed the rules in 2013 without setting any limits of the height of these high-rise buildings, it had made a provision in which it has asked the owners/builders to construct the buildings to a height of 30 metres and above on the basis of the structural design prepared by the State Resource Centre or any government technical institutions to protect the buildings during the earthquake.

The earthquake vulnerability area in India has been divided into four zones. While zone-2 is classified as the low damage risk zone, zone-3 is moderate damage risk zone, zone–4 is high damage risk zone and zone-5 is very high damage risk zone.