Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Earthquake Engineering Codes by BIS

The Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Kumari Selja has said that Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published various standards/codes on earthquake engineering. Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has published these guidelines on quake safe construction for greater public awareness.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today she said, Ministry of HUPA has not constituted any ad hoc body to ensure that BIS guidelines and engineering codes are being followed by new structures in the country.

She said, an Expert Committee constituted by Ministry of Home Affairs had prepared a Model Town and Country Planning Legislation, Zoning Regulation Development Control and Building Regulation / Bye-laws for safety against natural hazard with special emphasis in earthquake hazard. The committee recommended among other things amendments in Town & Country Planning Act, regulation in land use zoning and mandatory use of codes related to earthquake resistant construction to be implemented by State Governments.

Kumari Selja said, with the enactment of Disaster Management Act in 2005, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was set up by the Government to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to Disaster Management in India. The NDMA has issued Earthquake Guidelines envisaging State Government to review, revise the Town & Country Planning Act, land use zoning regulations, Building Bye-laws and Development Control Rules.

Building Materials Technology Promotion & Council has also organized several workshops in States/Union Territories (UTs) to disseminate the information contained in the above recommendations, the Minister added.

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