Seismic vulnerability of Nainital and Mussoorie, two major Lesser Himalayan tourist destinations of India

Seismic vulnerability of the building stock in two major tourist destinations of Indian Himalaya, Nainital and Mussoorie, that receive a large floating population and fall in Zone IV of Earthquake Zoning Map of India where damage during an earthquake is expected to reach MSK intensity VIII, is evaluated using rapid visual screening (RVS) technique of FEMA and the likely seismogenic damage is depicted as a function of the damage grades of EMS-98. In all 6206 buildings falling under various categories of usage are surveyed in the two towns. Of the total 14 percent in Nainital and 18 percent in Mussoorie are observed to fall in Category 5 damage class. Particular care has been taken to assess damageability of lifeline structures that include hospitals, schools and hotels. In the event of an earthquake direct economic losses to the surveyed buildings alone in the two towns are estimated to be US$ 137.78 million.