UTILITY SERVICES DURING QUAKES

Auto switch off still a far cry

In an unplanned city like Dhaka, an earthquake would not only be an infrastructural disaster, it would also be a colossal failure of civic amenities, experts have warned time and again. Also, as connections of utilities including gas, electricity, sewerage and water are intertwined with each other like an unsolved puzzle, an earthquake could lead to another man-made disaster, i.e. fire.

To avert the possibility of fire due to earthquake, experts have for long been asking for the provision to automatically cut down all utility lines during an earthquake of certain magnitude and intensity.
In May 2015, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster and Relief  Management, Shah Kamal, told The Independent that they had sent a letter to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to include provision for automatically cutting off all electricity and gas connections during earthquakes of certain magnitude and intensity. Apparently, the letter was sent on May 20, 2015 by the Parliamentary Committee on Ministry of Disaster and Relief Management, recommending precautionary measures during earthquakes. “The committee wants establishment of a device, so that gas and electricity connections can be automatically stopped during an earthquake,” Kamal had said back then.

However, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources did not take many steps in this regard. Recently, the Ministry of Disaster and Relief Management sent another Demi-Official (DO) letter to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources for inclusion of this provision.
Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster and Relief Management, GM Abdul Quader, who sent the letter, told The Independent that the letter was issued after a meeting where the Disaster Ministry discussed progress of directives by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who presided over the meeting of Disaster Management Council last year. 
As decided in the meeting, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Power Division and Energy Division will soon conduct an inter-ministerial meeting about implementation of building code and creating provision for automatically cutting off electricity and gas lines during earthquakes. “We hope that effective steps will be taken in this regard after that meeting,” said Quader.
Talking with The Independent, Professor of Department of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET), Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, said that many countries in the world have provision for shutting down all sorts of utilities during earthquakes. “This provision in the utility system is called lifeline earthquake engineering,” he said. It is an application of all relevant knowledge and skill to provide economically feasible engineering safeguards for critical systems like gas, transportation, water, power, communication etc., he explained.
“With it, utilities like gas, water, electricity, telecom and even transportation networks automatically shut down when an earthquake is detected,” added Dr Ansary, who is also Director of Bangladesh Network Office of Urban Safety (BNUS) of BUET. The Professor informed that Japan has started provision for lifeline engineering in the 80s and it does not take large scale projects to start the provision.
“Why have we not started such a system in Bangladesh is the question,” he said. Dr Ansary said that the government had earlier said that 72,000 buildings in Dhaka are highly vulnerable to earthquake but those buildings are not being identified as of now. “This reflects lack of honest intention on the part of the government,” he said.
Terming the government’s latest initiative to close down utilities during earthquakes a good decision, Dr Ansary said, “Now we have to see when this will be implemented!”
BUET had asked Titash Gas authorities to introduce such a provision long ago but they did not pay any heed to the request. “Unless there is a disaster, we don’t do anything. Recently, a large earthquake took place so now the government has started to take it seriously,” said Dr Ansary.
Asked about the process of establishing such a system, Dr Ansary told a daily that five to six sensors are needed to be placed 100 metre deep outside the periphery of 350 sq km of Dhaka. “The deeper we can place the sensors; the better will be the reading of earthquake motion. We also need to establish the central station at Dhaka which will control the sensors placed outside the periphery,” he explained.
Dr Ansary said that for electricity and gas, separate projects should be undertaken. “We need to establish similar projects in Chittagong and Sylhet as well,” he added.
Dr Ansary informed that the initiation of such project would take nearly one year and hence, there is need to form a technical committee. “Government officials alone will not be able to materialise the project,” he said.

UTILITY SERVICES DURING QUAKES

Auto switch off still a far cry

In an unplanned city like Dhaka, an earthquake would not only be an infrastructural disaster, it would also be a colossal failure of civic amenities, experts have warned time and again. Also, as connections of utilities including gas, electricity, sewerage and water are intertwined with each other like an unsolved puzzle, an earthquake could lead to another man-made disaster, i.e. fire. To avert the possibility of fire due to earthquake, experts have for long been asking for the provision to automatically cut down all utility lines during an earthquake of certain magnitude and intensity. In May 2015, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster and Relief Management, Shah Kamal, told The Independent that they had sent a letter to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to include provision for automatically cutting off all electricity and gas connections during earthquakes of certain magnitude and intensity. Apparently, the letter was sent on May 20, 2015 by the Parliamentary Committee on Ministry of Disaster and Relief Management, recommending precautionary measures during earthquakes. The committee wants establishment of a device, so that gas and electricity connections can be automatically stopped during an earthquake, Kamal had said back then. However, the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources did not take many steps in this regard. Recently, the Ministry of Disaster and Relief Management sent another Demi-Official (DO) letter to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources for inclusion of this provision. Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster and Relief Management, GM Abdul Quader, who sent the letter, told The Independent that the letter was issued after a meeting where the Disaster Ministry discussed progress of directives by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who presided over the meeting of Disaster Management Council last year. As decided in the meeting, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Power Division and Energy Division will soon conduct an inter-ministerial meeting about implementation of building code and creating provision for automatically cutting off electricity and gas lines during earthquakes. We hope that effective steps will be taken in this regard after that meeting, said Quader. Talking with The Independent, Professor of Department of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET), Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansary, said that many countries in the world have provision for shutting down all sorts of utilities during earthquakes. This provision in the utility system is called lifeline earthquake engineering, he said. It is an application of all relevant knowledge and skill to provide economically feasible engineering safeguards for critical systems like gas, transportation, water, power, communication etc., he explained. With it, utilities like gas, water, electricity, telecom and even transportation networks automatically shut down when an earthquake is detected, added Dr Ansary, who is also Director of Bangladesh Network Office of Urban Safety (BNUS) of BUET. The Professor informed that Japan has started provision for lifeline engineering in the 80s and it does not take large scale projects to start the provision. Why have we not started such a system in Bangladesh is the question, he said. Dr Ansary said that the government had earlier said that 72,000 buildings in Dhaka are highly vulnerable to earthquake but those buildings are not being identified as of now. This reflects lack of honest intention on the part of the government, he said. Terming the governments latest initiative to close down utilities during earthquakes a good decision, Dr Ansary said, Now we have to see when this will be implemented! BUET had asked Titash Gas authorities to introduce such a provision long ago but they did not pay any heed to the request. Unless there is a disaster, we dont do anything. Recently, a large earthquake took place so now the government has started to take it seriously, said Dr Ansary. Asked about the process of establishing such a system, Dr Ansary told a daily that five to six sensors are needed to be placed 100 metre deep outside the periphery of 350 sq km of Dhaka. The deeper we can place the sensors; the better will be the reading of earthquake motion. We also need to establish the central station at Dhaka which will control the sensors placed outside the periphery, he explained. Dr Ansary said that for electricity and gas, separate projects should be undertaken. We need to establish similar projects in Chittagong and Sylhet as well, he added. Dr Ansary informed that the initiation of such project would take nearly one year and hence, there is need to form a technical committee. Government officials alone will not be able to materialise the project, he said.