High-rise owner asked to obtain structure report

SHILLONG, May 30: The KHADC on Thursday asked the owner of the eight-storied high-rise at Umshing-Mawkynroh locality along the Mawlai Bypass to submit the structural audit report of the building either from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) or the National Institute Technology (NIT), Meghalaya.
At the same time, the council also directed the owner to do the slope stability analysis to check if the building can withstand the steep slope.
Talking to reporters after meeting the owner, KHADC Chief Engineer F Syiem said they asked the owner to submit the structural audit report since he failed to submit the structural design of the building prepared by a qualified engineer or an architect.
According to him, the Structural Design Review Panel (SDRF) of the council could not examine the structural design since the owner had not submitted them.
The KHADC official also said that the owner has constructed the building without obtaining building permission from the council.
“We have no idea how this building was constructed. Therefore, it will be proper that the owner himself approaches the IIT-G or NIT on his own to vet the safety of his building,” Syiem said.
The KHADC Chief Engineer said that the slope stability analysis is also required since as per the new amendment to the Meghalaya Building Byelaws, 2021 no building permission will be given for land that has a fifty degree slope or more.
Informing that the owner claimed that he had constructed the building before the Meghalaya Building Byelaws, 2021 came into force, the KHADC Engineer said that the old building bye-laws had restricted the heights of buildings in the city to G+3.
“But he constructed an eight-storied building which is against the building bye-laws,” Syiem said.
Replying to a query, Syiem said they will decide on the need to demolish the building depending on the structural audit report to be submitted by the owner.
The building is reportedly owned by an MCS officer.