A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India - Geological & Mining ...

3.2 DiscussionThe discussion segment of this thesis reviews the initial questions put forth in thespecific objectives segment of the study:How effective are PSI’s mason training programmes? Is the gainedknowledge being put into practice? What improvements can be made to thetraining workshops?The training programmes have proven to be effective in that trained masons aremore aware of earthquake-safe features than untrained masons and are in turnputting this knowledge into practice as is seen by the increased number ofearthquake-safe houses built in Study Area A. As construction details are generallyleft to the mason, it is hoped that this increased knowledge of essential featureswill continue to be incorporated into the building practice in this region and bepassed on to other masons. Both PSI trained and untrained masons claimed toadvise homeowners on earthquake-safe features, therefore this enhancedknowledge and skill base can also be passed down to the homeowners. It isstressed that repeatedly disseminating information and monitoring constructions iscritical to ensure the sustainability of these practices.There are several recommendations for improving the workshops: 1) framestructures need to be covered in greater detail in the overall pedagogy to keep upwith the shift in building trends, including a detailed segment on bar bendingtechniques, 2) course duration should be no less than five days with a largecomponent of practical training, 3) PSI should collaborate with other agenciesactive in this field in order to develop a state-wide workshop template tostandardise training, 4) information needs to be provided more frequently andintensively for both masons and homeowners in the state of Uttarakhand, withparticular emphasis placed on the costs of earthquake features.The Role of NGOs in Disaster Mitigation and Response – A Case Study in Uttarakhand, Northern India 68