Experts working on Nepal’s earthquake preparedness said that weak infrastructure and loose structure of soil in the Valley have magnified the risk.

Speaking at an interaction programme, Ganesh Jimee of National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal said the foundation of the structures in Kathmandu is not strong as the Valley’s soil is loose which may exacerbate the situation in the time of quakes. “Loose soil and lax implementation of building codes as well as lack of awareness among the people would increase causalities and loss of properties,” said Jimee.

He highlighted the need to replace heavy household items to mitigate the causalities.

The chief of National Seismological Centre, Som Nath Sapkota, informed that Nepal is in seismically active zone and prone to massive quakes.

Inspector Nawaraj Tamang of Armed Police Force informed that the force has designed a 12-week training programme for its personnel for effective response to the disaster. However, he stated that financial constrains are a hindrance.

Likewise, Senior Superintendent in Nepal Police Rana Bahadur Chand said that police are always prepared for rescue efforts. According to information available at the programme, if a massive tremor over 8-magnitude strikes Kathmandu, death toll may reach over one lakh and more than 60 per cent of houses would be destroyed.

source: The Himalayan Times(2011),"Lax building codes add to quake risk", The Himalayan Times, 17 March 2011