‘No govt building to come up near water bodies, policy in the works’

Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday that the state government has decided to change the construction norms near rivers and formulate a policy to prevent loss of life and property in the future.

- Shailee Dogra

The decision was taken by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during the Day 2 of cabinet meetings in Shimla on Tuesday.

“We have observed that several government institutions are constructed along riverbanks, and crores of rupees are spent on site development. The government is formulating a policy to prevent loss of life and property in the future. All government buildings will now be established at a safe distance of 100 to 150 metres from such water bodies.”

A separate committee will also look into settlements of people who have been living close to rivers for generations. “A committee is also being formed to study old settlements along rivers and recommend future measures.”

Cabinet approves structural safety audits of buildings across state

Acting on the recommendations of the cabinet panel on disaster management and rehabilitation, the Himachal government on Monday approved the structural safety audits of buildings across state to assess their disaster resilience.

Emphasising the importance of disaster-resilient infrastructure, the committee has further recommended making earthquake-resistant and hazard-resilient construction mandatory across the state. The subcommittee has also suggested the integration of home guards, civil defence, fire services, and the state disaster response force (SDRF) with the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authorities (HPSDMA).