Una, September 24 - Taking an important step towards enhancing earthquake safety, the District Management Authority Una in collaboration with IIT Ropar organized a workshop on earthquake resistant construction, seismic retrofitting in the auditorium of District Rural Development Agency Una. This workshop was organized as per the directions of Deputy Commissioner Una Jatin Lal. IIT Ropar will submit a proposal to assess the earthquake resistant reconstruction capacity of 20 selected buildings in Una district. It was emphasized in the workshop that proper retrofitting will significantly reduce the risk of building collapse in case of an earthquake.
Dr. Mitesh Surana and Dr. Aditya Singh Rajput, Assistant Professors, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Ropar, highlighted the increasing need for retrofitting existing structures to withstand seismic activity.
Underlining the critical importance of building earthquake-resistant buildings, Dr Mitesh and Dr Aditya told the workshop that it is not earthquakes that cause deaths, but the collapse of poorly constructed buildings. They explained that building earthquake-resistant structures adds only 5 to 10 per cent more to the total cost of construction, which can save countless lives.
The professors also highlighted the superiority of traditional construction methods, such as the Dhaajji Diwari and Kath Kunni techniques, which have been used for centuries in the Himalayan region. These local styles, handed down through generations, are naturally resilient to seismic activity. They advocated policy initiatives to revive and promote these traditional construction practices, noting that the Kath Kunni style is particularly effective in the earthquake-prone hilly regions of the Himalayas. The workshop was attended by engineers from various departments including Public Works Department, Jal Shakti, Town Planning, Electricity Department, Education Department as well as artisans involved in private construction. The workshop marks an important collaboration between academic expertise and local governance, aimed at promoting safe, sustainable construction practices in the region. The IIT Ropar team also assessed the seismic reconstruction capacity status of selected government buildings at various locations, mainly Government Post Graduate College Una, Regional Hospital Una, Thana Sadar Una, Government Senior Secondary Girls School Una, Sub Divisional Office Amb, etc.
District Disaster Management Authority Una is actively training local artisans in earthquake resistant construction practices so that safe construction techniques can be widely adopted.