SHILLONG: With Meghalaya falling in Zone V of the seismic zonal map of India, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner and Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority, P.S. Dkhar has issued advisories for general safety of all buildings in the State as part of preparedness measure.
Zone V is characterized by area which has highest vulnerability to earthquakes. Meghalaya has a history of being hit by high magnitude earthquakes.
In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, the deputy commissioner has asked all citizens to always consult an architect/ engineer for planning and design of any building and while constructing the building, one needs to ensure that planning norms and building code regulations are strictly followed for structural design as laid down in Meghalaya Building Bye Laws, 2011.
“To ensure this, use of branded ISI marked steel bars and branded cement is recommended. Care should also be taken while casting structural RCC elements especially in the intersection of beam and columns,” the DC said.
Further, Dkhar also issued an advisory that building projections such as cantilevered slabs and pergolas should be constructed only as per design of engineers/ architects as they are highly vulnerable to structural failure during an earthquake.
“Care should be taken while designing and embedding non-structural components such as glass panel, claddings, parapet walls, chimneys, book shelves and others to prevent collapse during an earthquake,” he added.
In case of existing and old buildings, the owners should get their building examined by an architect/ engineer to determine the structural safety keeping in view code requirements for Zone V. In case any building is found unsafe, necessary strengthening and retrofitting measures should be adopted on the advice of an architect/ engineer, he said.
