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| Disaster Management in disdain | | No survey to find structural health of buildings in Jammu | | ET Report
Jammu, Sept 22 : Making mockery of hyped disaster management in the state, administration has never conducted survey on the structural health of hundreds of residential and commercial buildings in Jammu city. Recently during heavy rainfall, a house had collapsed in old city area, giving rise to fears that more such incidents could happen due vulnerability of old buildings in the city. Officials said that corporation has remained in deep slumber for last eight years, since the devastating earthquake struck the region in 2005. After the quake government had announced that safety measures of all the buildings will be assessed to prevent threat to life and property in case of major quake. Thousands of people live in congested localities in old city areas unconcerned about the consequences and peril they are in. Further illegal construction has been going on in most of old city. Looking at the construction done in old city area situated at hilly slopes one gets jitters while passing through entire stretch from Gujjar Nagar bridge, Panjtirthi, Jain Bazar, Pir Mitha, Lakhdata Bazaar where people have constructed two to three stories buildings without bothering about the strength and quality of the plinth. "Government talks of disaster preparation but even basic preparations have not been made nor any survey of the buildings which are dangerous for people to live and conduct business. No zoning of the city has been done", said an official. As per the Municipal Act, the dismantling of buildings, which have been declared unsafe by the civic body, is a disciplinary and obligatory function of municipal body but in Jammu the action has been rarely taken, despite hundreds of such structures dotting the temple city. Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) official said, "We have ordered engineering wing to carry survey. So far we don't have any data about unsafe building, but the exercise has been started". Sharma claimed that action will be taken against the illegal structures after the report is submitted by the field staff. However a senior officer said that there is nothing government can do as shifting them is nearly impossible as it would involve shifting lakhs of people who are living for centuries in the area. "Illegal construction near Circular road, Gujjar nagar and old city area on the banks of river Tawi could lead to a major catastrophe anytime as houses built on hillocks, having weak foundation could spell disaster if earthquake or heavy rainfall struck the city", said a local resident. |
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