RECONSTRUCTUIN PROCESS OF DEVASTATED URBAN AREA FOLLOWING THE 2001 GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE, INDIA

The reconstruction process of a devastated urban area following the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake was studied. The feature of this earthquake reconstruction could be concluded as follows: (1) It was promoted by improving the administrative ability to provide manpower for technical and knowledge assistance provided by government and safety control for reconstructed houses through the setting up of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority and time-limited regional development authorities, (2) In the central part of the urban area in the walled city, reconstruction began about three years after the earthquake, having taken about eight months to draw up the urban reconstruction planning for all of Bhuj, about 14 months to create the town planning schemes in the inner-town area, and three years to start the reconstruction work in the walled city, (3) It has been aiming at making the dangerous situation in such a high-density central area safe through the readjustment of town lots and the planning of partial relocation sites, (4) A unique feature of housing reconstruction in the State of Gujarat, India is that it has been right-owner-driven and has been carried out in partnership between the public sector and individuals and during these processes, safety measures against earthquakes have been well considered, (5) The basic principle for reconstruction was to rebuild houses in the areas where eople previously lived and had their communities, and consideration was paid to community reconstruction. During this reconstruction process, careful attention was paid to democratic procedures which required time but also resulted in minimum relocation and also safety considerations for future earthquakes.