Rebuilding after an earthquake
Practical Action
Earth and timber roofs on stone walls accounted for 80 per cent of houses. The layout of these
houses varied, depending on family size, income, and status. The construction technology also
varied with the age of the building and the community for which it was constructed. Thatched
roofs on wattle and daub walls accounted for another 4 per cent of houses, most of which were
occupied by the poorest designated caste households. Of the remaining houses, 2 per cent were
of thatched roofs on stone walls, and 1 per cent were of earth and timber roofs on earth walls.
These houses were usually occupied by relatively low-income households.
Traditional buildings and earthquake impact
The traditional buildings in this region were not built to resist seismic activity. In earthquake-
prone regions like the Himalayas, vernacular buildings have evolved in response to the frequent
occurrence of earthquakes, for instance by incorporating small openings, horizontal wooden
bands at different levels of the buildings, and the use of long corner stones and through stones
in random rubble masonry. The vernacular construction of the Marathwada region does not show
any such features, indicating that either an earthquake has not happened for a long time; or so
few people were affected during the last major earthquake that it did not cause any change in
building patterns; or existing knowledge about earthquake preparedness was lost when the
communities were preoccupied with wars and mass migration during later periods.
A major earthquake had struck
Latur in 1573. There is indirect
evidence of the destruction of
earlier settlements, such as the
rubble-filled mounds in many
villages, and reports of the
discovery of artefacts like swords,
vessels, and statues during
digging for the foundations of new
buildings and wells in the
settlements. Archaeological
excavation would be needed to
prove conclusively past
destruction by earthquakes.
Conventional housing
In addition to the traditional
buildings, there were also many
newer, conventional houses. Of
these, 5 per cent had galvanized
corrugated iron (GCI) sheet roofs
on stone walls. GCI sheets were
used quite widely in the region,
especially to cover semi-open
spaces. Unlike RCC, GCI does not
Figure 2: Once an appropriate site is chosen, the house should
be built using good quality materials. A low one-storey building
in a square (with reinforced corners) or circular shape is best.
(Illustrations from Earth Construction: A comprehensive guide
by Hugo Houben and Hubert Guillaud. IT Publications, London,
1994.)
radiate heat at night, so quite a
few houses had GCI verandas,
even though the exclusive use of GCI sheet roofing does not provide the house with adequate
thermal insulation. This is an important factor that had to be taken into account during the
technology selection process.
RCC-roofed buildings constituted only 3 per cent of the total housing stock, divided equally
between houses with earth, brick, and stone walls. Even the earth-walled buildings were built
with a fair amount of random stone rubble infill. Brick buildings were the most common
addition to urban settlements, especially among the higher income households who were
upgrading their homes.
Traditional construction practices were very strong in the Marathwada region, so a few basic
principles had to be followed in the design of reconstructed houses, whether they were executed
by private sector contractors, government departments, or local artisans.
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