(a) whether the Government proposes to make any national policy to tackle the calamities like earthquake;
(b) the so, the time by which it is likely to be finalized;
(c) the number and details of States which have not set up the earthquake study centres;
(d) whether there is dearth of latest laboratories and trained scientists in the earthquake prone areas; and
(e) if so, the steps being taken by the Government to make up these requirements?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT (KAPIL SIBAL)
(a) & (b): The strategy adopted by the Government to tackle natural calamities like earthquake is based on a holistic approach encompassing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, relief and rehabilitation. With a view to facilitate action in pursuance of this strategy and strengthen the institutional mechanism for the purpose, the Government is in the process of enacting a Central Legislation on Disaster Management. The Disaster Management Bill, 2005, introduced by the Government in the Parliament on 11-05-2005 has since been passed by both Houses of the Parliament. The National Disaster Management Authority has also been constituted with the Prime Minister as Chair Person to lay down plans and policies for disaster management to coordinate the effort.
(c) India Meteorological Department (IMD) operates and maintains a country wide national seismological network consisting of seismological observatory located at selected locations in selected States. Department of Science & Technology also supplement the efforts of IMD and provide support for establishing seismic stations in selected areas in project mode. There is no State left which does not have a seismic station.
(d) & (e): The Department of Science & Technology (DST), which is mandated to promote research and development in various fields of science and engineering, has been playing a lead role in creating the required infrastructure and research facilities in North West and North East India, in particular, as well as at other selected locations. Also, under the Mission Mode Project on Seismology being implemented by DST in the 10th Five Year Plan, a M.Tech. level programme in Computational Seismology has been started in the current financial year at IIT, Kharagpur and Tezpur University for manpower development. In addition, DST supports regularly specific workshops/ training courses to create awareness about earthquakes and to train scientists/ engineers on selected aspects of earthquake science/ engineering.