EMN
Dimapur, May 4
With possibly a hint to Naga builders, the State Quality Control Board of Kohima has stated on Monday that ‘Earthquakes do not kill. Poorly-built buildings do’.
About 5 years ago, there was a controversy in the local media when concerns were raised by knowledgeable people about at the number of buildings – with obvious dubious engineering workmanship – coming up in the state, especially in growing towns such as Dimapur and capital Kohima.
An equal concern was whether local engineers were even following local building bylaws and guidelines.
The reaction from certain Dimapur and Kohima-based engineers and architects was sharp. They claimed best technology and employment of guidelines.
However, several years later, knowledgeable citizens are still questioning if at all the claim of builders is true. Even a mere look at the physical frame of most “box-staking” buildings in the towns, seem without any obvious indication of superior technology; it leaves questions lingering in the minds of even casual observers.
In fact, even as recently as October 2013, the control board had expressed concern that construction of buildings ‘or any project’ in Nagaland were largely unsafe and lack the contemporary innovations and techniques which only innovative engineering expertise can offer.
On May 4, the State Quality Control Board of Kohima issued a statement saying ‘prevention is better than cure’. While not referring to Nagaland or local building constructors, the warning of the statement is loud enough.
“Prevention is better than cure, which is attainable within our economic capacity and resources with available technology at hand.
North East India is in the highest earthquake vulnerable zone-V having frequency 50 to 70 years,” the board explained.
The last major earthquake in Asom on 15.08.1950 killed 36000+ when there was not much heavy building existed. National Disaster Management Agency predicted that 8.4 lakhs people may be killed if earthquake of 1950 magnitude visit North East at midnight.
Detail investigation of Bhuj Town, Gujarat 26.01.2001 earthquake that killed 21,519 people reveal that poor quality construction of buildings are mostly the causes.
Poor quality R.C.C. building construction collapsed during installation killing 74 people on 04.04.2013 in Mumbai, 2500 people on 24.04.2013 in Bangladesh, 28 people on 04.01.2014 in Goa and so on.
“In addition to loss of human life, economic losses are enormous. We only need to remember good management during building construction by giving priority in order of merit viz safety, economy, durability, convenient and finally aesthetic through proper consultation with the right professionals viz civil engineers and architects,” the board said.
Citizens may note here that in 2013, a member of the control board had attributed the poor construction practices in Nagaland –roads to buildings–to incompetence and apathy to serious aspects such as unsystematic development, and preparation of project reports without spot verifications or ‘verifying’ projects without actually verifying the structural specifications.
