SHILLONG: The recent earthquake in Nepal and other states of the country has sounded an alarm bell for the Shillong city which falls under Seismic Zone V.
What will be the fate of Shillong if a major earthquake strikes the unplanned and congested city?
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that the department is now seriously looking into the building byelaws.
Stating that the recent incident in Nepal is a wake-up call for Shillong, Lyngdoh said that Urban Affairs department, which is now seeking suggestions from experts, is going to all necessary steps to ensure that all buildings within the city are constructed according to the building bye-laws.
She urged the citizens to follow all safety norms during the construction of their buildings.
Following public demand, height limit for residential buildings was raised from 42 feet to 65 feet while that of special category buildings was fixed at 90 feet as per the Meghalaya Building Bye Laws, 2011.
