Private buildings mandatory to be quake-resistant in IoK

Srinagar: A legislation is in the works to make quake-resistant private buildings mandatory in IoK. This comes six years after parts of the state were flattened by a devastating earthquake. The state government had earlier issued guidelines that no government building shall be constructed unless it complies with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) codes on quake resistance. Disaster management cell coordinator Aamir Ali says building bylaws have been amended “clause by clause” in consultation with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s national seismic advisor Anand S Arya. The Bill is now awaiting an Assembly nod.
“We have trained masons, engineers, architects and structural engineers in earthquake risk management,” says Ali.
“We have also roped in imams to convey the message. That has helped a lot.”