The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rahabilitation Authority will launch two major projects of rurul housing and livelihoods today as part of $280 million programme. The project will be beginnining of the reconstruction process in two of the worst affested districts of Muzaffarabad and Mansehra . Its estimated that reconstruction of over 800,000 houses will cost $2.4 billion.
The October 8 Earthquake in Pakistan caused massive damages. Billions of dollars are needed for reconstruction and rehabilitation but other than material losses, the quake also destroyed many lives, physically, emotionally.
In many cases they quake not only took members of the families of some people but also their desire to live. Many survived only to find themselves that they had not only lost their homes and livelihood but also loved one, families and friends. For them the world is without any glory or charm, as it used to be before October 8, the day which shook the entire nation.
But life goes on with all its glamours and intricacies. Humans have learned to survive the disasters, by forgetting. Most people try to coop up with tragedies by leaving the past behind but few are wise enough to learn from it, they try to find answers so that mistakes of past are not repeated and disasters avoided.
The Earthquake is a natural phenamenon, will of God but so is everything else. We need to see, for how far we are responsible and what we can do.
Earthquakes could not be predicted. The scientific community considers movement in the tectonic plates, beneath the earth, a cause of quake while religious people term it as wrath of God. They say God, with all His Majestic Powers can move the Earth to punish humans when He is unhappy with their deeds.
One possible cause given in this connection is construction of high rise buildings. Allah has created this world. He created Mountains to keep it balanced.
Allah in the Holy Quran Says that Mountains are like “tent-pegs”, i.e. they have a root extending down into the earth like “anchors” and this gives stability and balance to the earth. This was discovered less than 150 years ago by scientists and now accepted as a fundamental law in geology, the concept of ISOSTACY .
Two of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s prophecies regarding the signs of the end of times and the last day, taken from the hadiths are:
The Hour will not be established … till the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings.258
The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until … earthquakes will be very frequent.255
These days, both the prophecies of the Prophet are happening. High rise buildings are breaking records while earthquakes are happening frequently.
Humans are imbalancing and disturbing the plates by erecting mountains at place of their choice without considering the soil beneath.
Its a well established fact that, the building should not be higher than three floors i.e. G + 2floors especially in areas having active plates. The building Code is usually ignored by builders while raising high structures. High rise buildings made with latest Earthquake proof technology could be safe but it endangers all other old buildings in the area.
In Pakistan, therefore, all the existing buildings should be tranferred to Earthquake safety standards in the areas like karachi where plates are active . If its not possible, then all the construction should be limited to 3 floor.
MCB Tower , inaugurated in karachi few months back, is not a good gift for karachi. Karachi has already expanded too much and instead of sqeezing people in few hig rise buildings, the govt should decentralise some offices and re-locate the jobs outside karachi. Millions of People have thronged to karachi to get work creating multiple problems for people of karachi as well as themselves. Big cities have variety of problems which increase due to influx of people from small cities. Everything can’t and shouldn’t be accomodated in Karachi or Lahore. Millions should not suffer for the corporate ambitions of few.
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