The government is monitoring the vulnerable houses constructed in the Imphal Municipal area under building by-law, 2013 but there is no nodal officer to monitor in rural areas and hills, said relief and disaster management minister Awangbow Newmai on Thursday.
He was informing the House in response to a motion of disapproval of policy cut raised by opposition MLA K Ranjit Singh in the ongoing session of Manipur Legislative Assembly.
K Ranjit raised the policy cut motion on account of improper and ineffective implementation of first aid facilities during disasters and inability to regulate construction of buildings effectively to protect from high magnitude earthquakes.
Awangbow Newmai informed the House that the officials of the department are monitoring vulnerable buildings constructed in the Imphal Municipal area under building by-law, 2013 but not at large.
According to the data collected from Earth Science department, Manipur University, it is reported that Manipur is in ‘Seismic Zone 5’ and earthquakes might occur at any moment, he mentioned.
Construction of huge buildings with many storeys have also begun in the hill areas of the state and they are hard to monitor due to lack of nodal officers, he added.
The department has spotted some buildings in the state which might be vulnerable to earthquakes or natural calamities, he added.
Awangbow further informed the House that earthquakes or natural calamities cannot be predicted but precautionary measures can be taken up to prevent damage. The department is continuing to organise awareness and training programmes on providing first aid and preventive measures to be taken at the time of emergency during natural calamity or earthquake at several places of Tamenglong, Kangpokpi and other places where landslides occur frequently.
