INDIA DISASTER REVIVES OLD ISSUES

摘要

Response was largely predictable in the wake of a Jan. 26 earthquake that left tens of thousands of people dead and billions of dollars of infrastructure in ruins in western India. Thousands of buildings collapsed in cities from Bhuj to Surat to Ahmadabad, including recently built high-rise apartments and a year-old school building. In the highly industrialized state of Gujarat, power and transportation links were either cut or severely damaged. Now, India's urban development ministry is calling on civic agencies to adhere to the National Building Code to make the country more quake-resistant. Sources in the local construction industry say lax construction practices are common as municipal officials, developers and government agencies turn a blind eye to keep housing prices down.