arthquake resistant design
and construction technology has been included in the undergraduate curriculum
of engineering and architectural courses by limited number of colleges only
recently. As a natural corollary, most of practicing engineers and architects
in the country have little or nil inputs on earthquake engineering, even
though the Indian subcontinent has high vulnerability to earthquakes.
Recognizing the need to equip the working engineers and architects with
relevant knowledge on the subject, the Ministry of Home Affairs in the
Government of India has formulated two national programmes - the National
Programme for Capacity Building of Engineers in Earthquake Risk Management (NPCBEERM)
and the National Programme for Capacity Building of Architects in Earthquake
Risk Management (NPCBAERM). These programmes were launched in the year 2004
and envisaged training 10000 practicing engineers and 10000 practicing
architects. These programmes underline the shift of focus in disaster
management from post disaster relief and rehabilitation to pre-disasters risk
mitigation. The programmes have an outlay of Rs. 12.36 crores and Rs 4.51
crores respectively.
Under each programme, nationally
reputed institutions of excellence are expected to train faculty members of
colleges / institutions of the states / UTs who in turn would impart the
knowledge to the practicing professionals. 17 institutions have been nominated
as National Resource Institutes (NRIs) - 10 for NPCBEERM and 7 for NPCBAERM. The
curriculum for the training of trainers (ToT) module has been finalized by the
MHA through a consultative process while the course material has been developed
by the NRIs themselves. The states/ UTs have nominated about 200 State Resource
Institutes (SRIs) whose faculty, trained by NRIs, conducts training for the
practicing engineers/architects.
The two programmes aim at
training practicing engineers / architects in seismic safe construction, bring
about modification in building bye-laws, lead towards institution of a system of
training and certification, cause establishment of Hazard Safety Cells and
provide technical support for retrofitting lifeline buildings and systems.
Consequent upon a review of the
two programmes by the Project Management Board, the project duration has been
extended up to 31.03.2010 and implementation has been entrusted to the National
Institute of Disaster Management w.e.f. 2008-09.
