Earthquakes      Floods          LandSlides        Snow & Fires       Other Risks

District Kinnaur lies in western part of young folded mountains of Himalayas which is still instable. The district fall in seismic zone 4 and 5 High damage risk zone (MSK VIII) and very High damage risk zone (MSK IX or more) respectively.  From the analysis of the map below it is clear that area along the Kaurik Fault and at other locations in the district is prone to earthquakes. As per the recorded history of earthquakes the district has been hit by more than 12 times by earthquakes having magnitude of 4.0 and above. 

Figure 1: Concentration of Historical earthquakes in HP

Physical Vulnerability

As per the housing statistics contained in the table 1 below, 76.7% of the building stock of the district falls in Category A which is highly susceptible to earthquake damage. A lot of wood is used in the house construction in the district hence the houses are also vulnerable to fire hazard resulting due to earthquake shaking. Steep slopes in the district would result into landslides and block the arteries of the district resulting in delay in emergency response.

Table 1: Distribution of House by Predominant Materials of Roof and Wall and Level of Damage Risk

Table No :HP 12                                  State: HIMACHAL PRADESH                                           District:  KINNAUR

Wall/Roof

 

Census Houses

Level of Risk under

No. of  Houses

%

EQ Zone

Wind Velocity m/s

Flood Prone Area in %

V

IV

III

II

55&50

47

44&39

33

Area in %

Area in %

 

 

 

 

 

100

 

 

 

 

100

 

 

WALL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A1-Mud Unburnt Brick Wall

Rural

878

2.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

878

2.1

 

H

 

 

 

 

M

 

 

A2- Stone Wall

Rural

30,394

74.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

30,394

74.6

 

H

 

 

 

 

L

 

 

Total-Category-A          31,812

76.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B-Burnt Bricks Wall

Rural

1,680

4.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

1,680

4.1

 

M

 

 

 

 

L

 

 

Total-Category-B          1,680

4.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C1-Concrete Wall

Rural

923

2.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

923

2.2

 

L

 

 

 

 

VL

 

 

C2-Wood Wall

Rural

4,710

11.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

4,710

11.4

 

L

 

 

 

 

M

 

 

Total-Category-C                                       5,633

13.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X-Other Material

Rural

2,328

5.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

2,328

5.6

 

VL

 

 

 

 

M

 

 

Total-Category-X                                        2,328

5.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL BUILDINGS                                    41,453

 

 

ROOF

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R1-Light Weight Sloping Roof

Rural

32,535

78.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R1-Light Weight Sloping Roof

R2-Heavy Weight Sloping Roof

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

32,535

78.5

 

M

 

 

 

 

H

 

 

Rural

5,099

12.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R2-Heavy Weight Sloping Roof

R3-Flat Roof

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

5,099

12.3

 

M

 

 

 

 

L

 

 

Rural

3,819

9.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R3-Flat Roof

 

Urban

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

3,819

9.2

Damage Risk as per that for the wall supporting it

TOTAL BUILDINGS                                   41,453

Probable Maximum Precipitation at a station of the district in 24 hrs is 720mm

Housing Category : Wall Types                         

 Category-A : Buildings in field-stone, rural structures, unburnt brick houses,clay houses.

Category-B : Ordinary brick building: buildings of the large block &prefabricated type,half-timbered structures,building in natural hewn stone.   

Category-C :Reinforced building well built wooden structures.                                                                Category-X : Other materials not covered in A,B,C. These are generally light.  

                                        

Notes: 1. Flood prone area failure that protected area which may have more severe damage under failure of protection works. In some other areas the local damage, may be secure under heavy rains and chocked drainage.  

 2. Damage Risk for wall types is indicated assuming heavy flat roof in categories A, B and C (Reinforced Concrete) buildings.      3. Source of Housing Data: Census of Housing, GOI,2001  

Housing Category : Roof Type                                            Category-R1- Light Weight (Grass, Thatch,Bamboo,Wood,Mud,Plastic,Polythene,GI Metal,Absbestos Sheets,Other Material)                             Category-R2-Heavy Weight(Tiles,Slate)                               Category-R3-Flat Roof (Brick,Stone,Concrete) 

                        

EQ Zone V: Very High Damage Risk Zone[MSK>IX]                   EQ Zone IV : High Damage Risk Zone[MSK VIII]                          EQ Zone III : Moderate Damage Risk Zone[MSK<VII]                EQ Zone II : Low Damage Risk Zone [MSK<VI]                           Level of Risk : VH=Very High ; H=High; M=Moderate; L=Low; VL=Very Low

(Source: BMTPC Vulnerability Atlas of India 2006)

According to Roger and Bilham (Figure 2) due to the accumulation of stress along the India and Eurasian Plate over the years there is strong possibility of major earthquake in this region of the Himalayas. 

Figure 2: Probable built-up stress and likely magnitude of earthquakes in different regions of the Himalayas

Social Vulnerability

                   The community of area is oblivious of the great threat of earthquake in the regions. The community is neither prepared nor aware.  There is hardly any community awareness and preparedness planning to deal with various hazards.  Kinnaur has 2594 number of people with various disabilities as per the detail given below.  Their disability would be a serious impediment for their safety during disasters which can further be exacerbated by the terrain of the district.

Table: 2: Detail of Disabled person in District Kinnaur (2001 Census)

Type of disability

Total disabled

Rural

Urban

Rural

  Rural

Literates

 

 

 

 

Gents

Ladies

Total

Gents

Ladies

 

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

 

Blind

1,395

1,395

-

769

626

801

522

279

 

Dump

236

236

-

111

125

35

28

7

 

Deaf

399

399

-

199

200

82

60

22

 

 

Handi-capped

472

472

-

250

222

256

170

86

 

Mentally

 92

 92

-

56

36

52

32

20

 

Total

2,594

2,594

-

1,385

1,209

1,226

812

414

 


Designed by: Department of Inormation & Technology Himachal Pradesh.