Srinagar, Sep 24: Prof. Harsh K. Gupta, Former Member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Former Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Wednesday called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Public Outreach (Raabita) Office of CM to deliberate on strengthening earthquake resilience and disaster preparedness in Jammu and Kashmir.
The interaction was also attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani and Prof. Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST).
Prof. Gupta, in his detailed presentation, underlined the urgent need to develop earthquake-resilient infrastructure in Kashmir, which lies within the vulnerable Himalayan earthquake belt. Drawing from the example of a successful medium-term earthquake forecast in the northeast Himalayan region, Prof. Gupta stressed the importance of conducting similar studies in Kashmir.
He suggested multiple measures including observing an “Earthquake Safety Day”, training school students on earthquake safety, creating scenarios of past major quakes to plan preparedness, conducting mega-mock drills, ensuring strict compliance with earthquake-safe construction practices, and deploying Earthquake Early Warning Systems along the Himalayan belt.
The Chief Minister appreciated Prof. Gupta’s insights and emphasized that the government is committed to developing earthquake-resilient infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. He assured that the suggestions would be considered as part of the J&K’s broader strategy on disaster preparedness and public safety.
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