Subansiri dam quake resistant, claims NHPC

From our correspondent
Itagar, June 1: NHPC has claimed that there cannot be a situation that even a major earthquake may cause distress to Subansiri Dam. As far as the design of Subansiri Lower Project is concerned, it is reiterated that all the codal safety procedures have been validated by various apex bodies of the Centre and other government constituted teams of experts at various stages which leave no doubt for safety of the structures in the event of seismic calamities, a press release said here today. Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) value adopted for Subansiri Lower Dam is 0.38g which the gives strength to dam to withstand earthquake of magnitude even greater than 9 on Richter scale. Safety of the Subansiri Dam is assured, even if there is widespread destruction elsewhere on the strength of strict adherence to seismic design parameters during the construction phase. The NHPC claim has been made even though experts have time and again been warning the impacts of these dams in an event of tural calamity. NHPC projects being located in the seismically sensitive zone-v are also no strangers to earthquakes, NHPC said while adding that the dams built by Corporation withstood severe earthquakes that occurred in the past because of earthquake resistant design and strict adherence to seismic design parameters, the release added.