Updated Nagaland Building Byelaws to be ‘implemented’ soon

October 23, 2024 11 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Kohima | October 23

Despite the Nagaland Building Byelaws being in place since 2012, they are yet to be implemented. However, if one goes by an official assertion, renewed building bylaws would soon be enforced in the state to ensure more resilient infrastructure.

Informing this during a press conference this evening following the tabletop exercise at the Capital Convention Hall in Kohima, Johny Raungmei, Joint Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSDMA, announced that a committee has been established under the Department of Municipal Affairs and will soon be implemented by the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

“More updated version of the building bye-laws will be out soon, and I hope that implementation will also be done strictly by the concerned department,” he stated.

When asked about the timeline, Raungmei explained that the committee will conduct a review before the Cabinet approves it. He added that the implementation and monitoring will be handled by the Department of Municipal Affairs.

When further questioned about the failure to adhere to the laws, he noted that one of the enforcement strategies under the new regulations would involve denying essential services, such as electricity, to buildings or owners that do not comply.

Meanwhile, highlighting on the exercise, he noted that landslides are the most common disaster in the state and attributed their occurrence to rain and climate-induced factors.

Also when enquired how effective are these efforts (exercises) been in mitigating impacts of disasters in Nagaland, the Joint CEO of Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) stated that the effectiveness of these measures in mitigating disaster impacts cannot be quantified, the efforts to raise awareness and strengthen preparedness capabilities have been significant achievements.

“God forbid, but if any major earthquake happens, I believe we will be better prepared than before these exercises were done,” he stated, highlighting that raising awareness and collaborating to pool resources has been a major achievement.

Sharing his observations, Major General Sudhir Bahl (Retd), Lead Consultant (ME & IRS) of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) emphasised the importance of community empowerment in disaster management response.

To this end, he stated that the municipal department must be closely involved to ensure community mobilisation is integrated into the response efforts.

Additionally, Bahl suggested establishing quick response teams, including the medical department, PWD, and F&ES, and highlighted the need for the medical plan to incorporate civil medical resources in much greater detail.

Resilient Nagaland needs seismic proofing: Bahl
To build a resilient Nagaland, the state must have buildings that are seismic proof for which the promulgation of a seismic building board is extremely essential, he added.

While acknowledging community ownership of land, he underscored the need for public sensitisation, which he believes is essential for the greater good of the state’s residents.

“It is a work which will take time, effort and commitment and the sooner we start the better it is,” he added.

Bahl also stressed on the importance of aerial resources support to the state considering the limited lines of communication and the hilly nature of the state.

Regarding landslide management, he suggested that it should be better organised, utilising not only state resources but also those from public undertakings.

He also stressed the need to strengthen the modalities for creating integrated landslide management plans to ensure that landslides, which may occur on a large scale during an earthquake or otherwise, are managed effectively.