Experts say Calcutta’s geographical location and the density of its population make it vulnerable to earthquakes. A Telegraph picture

With experts having sounded a quake alert for Calcutta, the state government has decided to get its engineers trained in designing tremor-resistant buildings at Bengal Engineering and Science University (Besu).

Initially, around 250 public works department (PWD) engineers — of the rank of assistant engineer and above — will be trained on the Shibpur campus under the Centre-funded scheme National Programme for Capacity Building of Engineers in Earthquake Risk Management.

The session starts on December 4 and will be conducted in a phased manner.

“Acting on a request from the governor, we had sent a team to Sikkim to prepare a report on a quake that hit the state in February. Following our report, the government has selected us to train its engineers,” said Besu vice-chancellor Nikhil R. Banerjea.

Experts feel Calcutta’s geographical location makes it prone to quakes.

“A moderate to severe quake can hit the city anytime. The population density of the city makes it more vulnerable,” said geologist Bhabani Prasad Mukhopadhyay.

According to a study conducted by Besu’s civil engineering department, at least half the buildings in the city — the figure goes up to 70 per cent in some pockets — cannot stand through even a moderate quake.

“The people in general and the engineers in particular should be made aware of the need to design buildings following the guidelines laid down by seismic experts,” Banerjea pointed out.

The earth surface comprises plates floating on a liquid that is in motion. A quake occurs when two such plates collide, said Sekhar Dutta, professor at Besu’s civil engineering department. “We will train engineers how buildings can be designed keeping this motion of the plates in mind, so that they can withstand a quake to a large extent.”