Infrastructure not up to mark in quake-prone Kovai & Salem

ABOUT 80% of areas in Coimbatore and Salem are susceptible to moderate earthquakes (Zone III seismic hazard) while the remaining 20% has a seismic hazard of high intensity quakes (Zone IV), a study conducted by Anna University has found.

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA

Worryingly, a majority of infrastructure and buildings in these cities are not designed to withstand seismic forces of this intensity.

The study, titled 'Seismic Hazard Assessment and Microzonation of Salem and Coimbatore cities was commissioned by the state Revenue Administration and Disaster Management department and conducted by Anna University's Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management as part of the state government's plan to conduct seismic hazard assessment.

Salem city's earthquake risk was upgraded from hazard category Zone II to Zone III in 2002; most of the structures built prior to 2002 are not designed to Zone III requirements. As a result, the study said that even moderate earthquake events in Salem and Coimbatore cities may lead to loss of life due to the failure of buildings and infrastructure. In some cases, collapse of the structure can occur due to lack of ductility (how much a material can be deformed before it fractures).