New earthquake guidelines for constructions
All new constructions will have to comply with earthquake-resistant building codes and the modified techno-legal regime from June 30 onward, according to the earthquake guidelines released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) here this past week.The new building codes include the revised town planning by-laws, land use zoning, Development Control Regulations (DCRs) and building codes.While eventually all new constructions will be built as per earthquake-resistant building codes, compliance will be made mandatory with immediate effect in towns and cities in high seismic zones (III, IV and V).In the case of selective strengthening and retrofitting of existing priority structures and lifeline structures, the guidelines recommend structural safety audit and retrofitting of selected critical lifeline structures and high priority buildings, especially in the high-risk areas with special emphasis on Government and public buildings to take the lead.All Central Ministries and departments and State Governments will facilitate implementation and enforcement of relevant standards for seismically safe design and construction of buildings, bridges, flyovers, ports and harbours and other lifeline and commercially important structures falling within their administrative control.
Lifelines and buildings of national importance and critical infrastructure and facilities like schools and hospitals have been outlined as the first priority for strengthening and retrofitting. Identification of such buildings will be done by the States.The list will also include five or more floors in residential apartments, offices and commercial complexes for necessary action.The cities identified in various degrees of high risk are: Agartala, Aizawl, Gangtok, Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Port Blair, Shillong, Srinagar, Ambala, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dehra Dun, Delhi, Gurgaon, Jalandhar, Jammu, Jamnagar, Meerut, Patna, Shimla, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai.
The guidelines, released by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, have been prepared to reduce the impact of earthquakes in the short term and the earthquake risk in the medium and long term.As per the guidelines, licensing and certification of professionals as engineers, architects, masons and artisans will be encouraged and specifications for various types of constructions will be placed in the public domain.The guidelines also underlinethe importance of enforcement, awareness and preparedness, capacity development and strengthening of emergency response.
