New Delhi: Almost a week after an earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter Scale rattled Delhi, experts have now predicted a much bigger earthquake to hit the nation’s capital within the next ten years. More than one lakh residential buildings could get destroyed if the tremor warnings were to come true.
The areas on or near the Yamuna river, such as the Akshardham Temple and the Commonwealth Village, face the highest risk as these places stand right atop a fault line and have moist soil. The next big earthquake could severely damage the foundations of buildings in this area.
“The soil starts behaving like molten material and therefore it loses its strength. Anything that’s built on that kind of soil will eventually sink,” says Prof T K Dutta, IIT Delhi.
1,400 unauthorised colonies and more than one lakh residential buildings, mainly in West Delhi, Chattarpur and Trans-Yamuna, could suffer serious damage during the next big earthquake.
With earthquake protection for new buildings made compulsory only last year, there's only one way to find out the resilience of a building against tremors. Readings from specialised machines and a few computer simulations can reveal structural flaws in buildings. Repairing the flaws and reinforcing the buildings can take up to two months.
“In a conventional building, strengthening can be done within the range of 30 to 40 per cent of the construction cost”, says P L Goel, TPC Retrofitting Consultants.
*www.ibnlive.com/news/massive-earthquake-likely-to-hit-delhi-say-experts/53438-3.html
The areas on or near the Yamuna river, such as the Akshardham Temple and the Commonwealth Village, face the highest risk as these places stand right atop a fault line and have moist soil. The next big earthquake could severely damage the foundations of buildings in this area.
“The soil starts behaving like molten material and therefore it loses its strength. Anything that’s built on that kind of soil will eventually sink,” says Prof T K Dutta, IIT Delhi.
1,400 unauthorised colonies and more than one lakh residential buildings, mainly in West Delhi, Chattarpur and Trans-Yamuna, could suffer serious damage during the next big earthquake.
With earthquake protection for new buildings made compulsory only last year, there's only one way to find out the resilience of a building against tremors. Readings from specialised machines and a few computer simulations can reveal structural flaws in buildings. Repairing the flaws and reinforcing the buildings can take up to two months.
“In a conventional building, strengthening can be done within the range of 30 to 40 per cent of the construction cost”, says P L Goel, TPC Retrofitting Consultants.
*www.ibnlive.com/news/massive-earthquake-likely-to-hit-delhi-say-experts/53438-3.html
i am in west delhi
