MUZAFFARABAD, March 22: The much-awaited Turkish seismic report has found 7 and 30 per cent of Muzaffarabad and its suburbs as ‘low hazard’ and ‘medium hazard’ zones whereas 31 and 32 per cent of the remaining area fall in ‘high hazard’ and ‘highly hazardous’ zones respectively as a consequence of which people should avoid constructions there, Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s top civilian official revealed here on Wednesday.
Speaking at a news conference, Chief Secretary M. Kashif Murtaza said the original report by Turkish experts was evaluated and summarised by the M/S Nespak, the general consultants of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra).
The purpose of unveiling the gist of the report was to end the state of confusion among earthquake survivors, said Mr Murtaza who had earlier chaired a marathon meeting of senior government officials on the issue.
The report covered an area located within a 17-km radius of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir capital measuring more than 25,000 acres which was divided into four zones — low hazard, medium hazard, high hazard and highly hazardous — on the basis of their vulnerability to future earthquakes. Besides, reconstruction guidelines would also be based on the same grounds, the chief secretary said.
He said two fault lines were passing beneath the area, one of which became active on Oct 8 while the other still existed and the areas lying over it had therefore been placed in the highly hazardous zone.
