jalna district disaster management information database & disaster ...

7.5 Earthquakes
7.5.1 Planning Assumptions
Section VII : Response Structure
Earthquakes have large spatial and temporal impacts. Resource requirements are both
intensive and extensive for management of earthquakes, in terms of the number of agencies
involved and the nature of coordination required.
7.5.2 Lead Agencies
The lead agencies involved in the management of earthquakes are revenue, police, fire,
and medical services.
Due to extensive damage to infrastructure, the Telecommunication, MSEB, MWSSB and
Public Works Departments play an important role in the management of this disaster.
As a result of earthquakes, floods and epidemics can also occur. Therefore stress is laid
on measures taken to ensure coordination with health and irrigation departments.
7.5.3 Nature of Damages
The impact of earthquakes differs for urban and rural areas, primarily because of the nature of
infrastructure, quality of housing and occupational differences. In rural areas, it is primarily the
housing and physical structures (including irrigation infrastructure) which may suffer extensive
damage, without necessarily destroying the crops.
In urban areas, in addition to housing and physical infrastructures, it may also disturb the
service infrastructure such as water supply, sewage, telephones, electricity etc., which are
essentially underground installations and hence exposed to a direct impact.
Jalna District Disaster Response Plan Vol II - 91