Economics of seismic resilience of educational infrastructure in high earthquake hazard prone Himalayan province of Uttarakhand in India

Abstract

Seismic vulnerability assessment of around 63.87% of the state owned school buildings in the Himalayan province of Uttarakhand in India that falls in identified high earthquake risk zone; Zone V and Zone IV of Earthquake Zoning Map of India, reveals 78.51% to be put to disuse immediately after an earthquake. Particularly high vulnerability of school buildings in Haridwar, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Almora districts of the province is to pose challenges of various sort on the aftermath of a major earthquake incidence. Based on damageability assessment of the surveyed buildings earthquake is estimated to result in losses to the tune of US$ 219.55 million to the surveyed school infrastructure alone. An investment of US$ 206.42 million is estimated for ensuring seismic safety of the surveyed school buildings by way of demolition and reconstruction of Grade 5 buildings (US$ 52.50 million) and seismic retrofitting of buildings falling in Grade 4 (US$ 107.29 million) and Grade 3 (US$ 46.62 million). US$ 323.19 million is estimated as being the cost of ensuring seismic safety of all state owned schools in the province.