EARTHQUAKE SAFETY ISSUES OF RAPIDLY GROWING URBAN AREAS OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

According to seismic Zone map of India given in IS 18932002 Criteria for earthquake resistant design of structure, 34 percent of Andhra Pradesh falls in zone III which is having the possibility of earthquakes up to intensity VII (MSK) or more. Active zones in the state are the Eastern Ghat belt and Godavari Valley. Recorded seismic history of AP shows that the state has experienced earthquake of magnitude up to 5.7 on the Richter scale i.e., Vizianagaram (M5.5 1917, Ongole (M5.4, 1967) and Badrachalam M5.7 1969). Though not much of damage occurred due to these events, the earthquake in Killari M6.3 1993) brought to the forefront the possibility of high risk to urban areas of AP, where building construction activity is growing at phenomenal rate. And also according to IS 1893 2002 the state is in the proximity of zone III areas of Maharastra, Orissa, Tamilnadu and Karnataka apart from being near to Andaman and Nicobar Islands which fall in zone V.