Non-structural losses constitute a major portion of the total earthquake induced losses and therefore together with ensuring structural integrity of your house you need to undertake non-structural retrofitting to ensure full safety.
Seismic safety
Banta’s “Interwoven House” and the Strength of Connection
Traditional Himalayan architecture often incorporated horizontal timber lacing which binds the stonework, distribute loads, and provide crucial connections for floor joists and the frames of doors and windows and makes the structure earthquake resilient.
The Great Himalayan Retreat: Science Bows to Policy in the IS 1893 Rollback
The earth does not recognise a “rollback.” While policymakers revert the Himalayas to lower seismic zones to favour the builder lobby, the tectonic strain continues to build. The recent withdrawal of the IS 1893:2025 amendments is a retrogressive step that trades future lives for current profits. It is time for the Himalayan states and the scientific community to break their silence and demand codes that reflect reality, not “convenience.
Professional Bodies and the IS 1893:2025 Rollback
When profits outweigh physics, everyone loses. We’re calling on India’s professional engineering bodies to adopt a ‘Model Resolution’ challenging the rollback of our latest seismic codes. It’s time to choose: do we serve the builders’ lobby or the lives of the people?
The Economics of Resilience vs. The Cost of Inaction
Resilience isn’t an expense; it’s an insurance policy for a nation on a tectonic edge. While the short-term ‘cost escalation’ of the IS 1893:2025 code is cited at 5%, the cost of ignoring it will be measured in trillions of rupees and thousands of lives
The Great Seismic Betrayal: Are We Building Cities or House of Cards?
In a staggering regulatory reversal, India has traded scientific progress for builder profits. By rolling back the IS 1893:2025 seismic code, we’ve ignored the ‘Zone VI’ reality of the Himalayas—leaving millions to live in structures built for a world that science no longer recognizes.
Santa’s Heavy Duty Survival Kit
Survival kit is for immediate survival and mobility – keep it light and at an easily accessible place – regularly replace expired items.
Mounting Earthquake Risk in Uttarakhand
Ignorance or indifference, be what we are faced with mounting earthquake risk in Uttarakhand and but for immediate and serious corrective measures we are to face disastrous consequences.
Climate Change and Disaster Management in Uttarakhand
Climate change impacts are a major challenge for disaster management professionals, and more so in the Himalayan region where the stakes are high and changes are irreversible.
Earthquake early warning – An illusion
After a series of earthquakes in the recent past in western Nepal and Pithoragarh, the earthquake early warning (EEW) system operated by USDMA in Uttarakhand has been the focus of most seismic safety related debates. Obsessed with the glitter and fancy of early warning most disaster risk reduction (DRR) enthusiasts often tend to consider it the ultimate […]