Manual for Restoration and Retrofitting of Rural Structures in Kashmir

This manual has been prepared to assist in the restoration and retrofitting of structures located in the rural areas of earthquake affected Kashmir, situated in the northernmost area of India and in Pakistan. The earthquake that struck this area on 8 October 2005 destroyed and damaged several thousand houses and killed around one hundred thousand people.
Kashmir is a seismically active area, and earthquakes big and small will continue to occur. It is not possible to predict when and where an earthquake will strike, nor its intensity. It is therefore hoped that this manual will be useful to engineers, architects, contractors, masons and people who may be planning to retrofit existing houses and public buildings to reduce their vulnerability to future earthquakes.