Quake readiness of existing buildings to be examined in Manipur

IMPHAL, April 7: The state precautions committee, formed recently with the objective of taking up disaster management and mitigation measures had its first meeting on April 4 last in the office chamber of the MAHUD minister, L Jayentakumar. During the meeting, a sub-committee was formed to look into the earthquake vulnerability of existing buildings and structures based on the reports of the Imphal Municipal Council's specially constituted taskforce. The sub-committee includes L Mangi, senior architect of the PWD as chairman, N Gitkumar, architect, town planner as convenor, and six members, namely K Temba, engineer, PWD, N Umakanta, engineer PWD, Arunkumar, HoD, earth sciences, Manipur University, K Iboyaima, engineer PDA and Ng Dilip, engineer, PDA. Pushing ahead with its agenda of enhancing public and government preparedness in dealing with natural disasters, the committee has also agreed to request Imphal Doordarshan and AIR to allot a slot on weekly basis for broadcasting programmes related to disaster management, and to incorporate representatives of Manipur science and Technology Council, MASTEC and the department of science and technology in the committee. It was also agreed that training workshops and seminar should be organised by the Manipur Building Centre and Indian Conference Institute, Manipur chapter on disaster resistant structures with funding from MUDA and other agencies. MAHUD minister Jayentakumar, addressing the meeting, noted that Manipur lies in the highest risk zones and stressed the need for preparedness of the Government machinery to face possible natural disaster. The minister laid emphasis on the need to make existing structures earthquake resistant, and stressed the need for spreading awareness among the public for incorporating earthquake protection measures in the construction of new structures. He also wanted the existing building by-laws to be suitably updated in this connection. He stressed that new construction should not be allowed until a clearance is obtained from a competent authority about safety from natural hazards, and emphasised the need to publicise in clear and forceful terms about the immediate need for taking into consideration safety requirements in future constructions.