Bhubaneswar: Experts from the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences and state authorities Tuesday launched a survey to undertake a seismic mico-zone mapping of the Bhubaneswar Development Plan Area (BDPA).
The mapping is the first step in earthquake risk mitigation study. It requires a multidisciplinary approach with contributions from fields of geology, seismology, geophysics, geotechnical and structural engineering.
Civic authorities from the state say that Bhubaneswar is one of the leading cities in the country picked for such a survey by the ministry.
The state government is reported to have set up a special committee under the chairmanship of the BDA Vice-Chairman, so that the seismic mapping of the entire plan area under BDA can be done effectively.
The team comprises the ADM, Bhubaneswar, a member from IIT Bhubaneswar, City Engineer, BMC and a senior official from the Science and Technology department.
A preliminary meeting was held at the BDA where the initial planning was chalked out. More meetings will be held to help the team from the Ministry of Earth Sciences conduct a detailed survey, the BDA said Tuesday.
The BDPA area is in Seismic Zone-III, but now risks have multiplied with two possible fault lines passing through the geological area.
“This study will be immensely beneficial for the city, as it will be a guiding factor to regulate construction and from the point of view of disaster management,” the BDA said in a release Tuesday.
Seismic Zone-III indicates moderate risk of an earthquake, but seismic mapping has the potential of giving more details about the overall geology of the areas and the degree of threat from seismic activities.
