Geo-tectonic movement and natural hazards: Strategy for disaster preparedness and mitigation

In India, the incidence of natural hazards have increased in recent times and their intensity and impacts have increased. Though the natural hazards like earthquake in Indian sub-continent cannot be prevented, because of the active tectonic disturbances and resulting incidence of earthquake of different intensities in sensitive zones, with a better preparedness and mitigation plan, the loss of life and property can be minimised to a greater extent. Though the scientific and technological knowledge is available for disaster preparedness and mitigation in different disaster prone regions of the world, the lack of disaster management system in disaster prone regions is causing collateral damages causing enormous environmental costs in form of loss of life and property and the cost of rehabilitation. The neglect of the development of disaster management system for minimisation of the impact of such disasters have caused a huge cost, even a fraction of which could help in disaster management capacity building in disaster prone regions. This paper identifies the regional pattern of disaster sensitive zones, the causal relation of tectonic movement on sismicity and resultant cummulative impacts of earthquake, landsliding, changes in landforms and meandering of rivers causing floods and other cummulative human interface. On the basis of such analysis, the model framework is suggested for disaster preparedness and mitigation plan in the sensitive zones.