On Better Engineering Preparedness: Lessons from the 1988 Bihar Earthquake

The rather moderate sized (magnitude 6.6) Bihar earthquake of August 21, 1988, demonstrated clearly that the Indian engineering profession is far from prepared for a larger earthquake. During the author's extensive travel within the areas affected by this earthquake, it became clear that the engineering community should immediately initiate serious and coordinated efforts to prepare for the possibility of a large earthquake in many parts of India or nearby countries. This paper discusses some such efforts and possible strategies. Suggested strategies for being better prepared include rationalization and implementation of the seismic codes, review of actual construction practices, seismic safety evaluation of critical facilities such as dams and refineries, training and preparation of field engineers for handling post-earthquake situations, and learning from earthquakes.