Now, seek experts’ help for safe construction

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 21

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) will develop a database of retired engineers, architects and technocrats from various departments, so that the general public can use their services for safe construction in urban and rural areas. This was stated by Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Onkar Chand Sharma at a meeting on techno-legal regime for construction activities.

It was also decided at the meeting that all construction activities involving buildings such as educational institutes, housing colonies, hotels and resorts or any other commercial structure such as dhabas, tea stalls and homestays would be screened for structural and fire safety by the DDMAs.

Urban Development Department, along with the DDMAs, would ensure that constructions were regulated as per the adopted model building bylaws by the ULBs, he said.

The Urban Development Department would share the compliance report on the adoption of the bylaws by every Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the state as per the directions of State Executive Committee constituted under Disaster Management Act-2005.

Sharma said the Rural Development and the Panchayati Raj Departments would ensure safe construction in the rural areas for which adequate information education and communication (IECs) activities would be carried out.

The departments would spread the knowledge about safe construction and traditional building practices in villages and gram panchayats with the help of IEC material and activities in association with the SDMA and the DDMAs.

He said the departments would support the SDMA and the DDMAs for the implementation of the scheme on training of masons, carpenters, bar binders and other artisans in hazard-resistant construction. About 5-10 masons from each panchayat would be trained.