Required Enforcement towards Earthquake Resistant Constructions

       i.            To ensure empowerment and accountability of the various actors involved in building construction, namely, the owner, the builder/developer/promoter, the architect, the structural engineer, supervisors, the local body personnel involved in approval of plans, inspection of constructions and issuing of building use permits.

     ii.            To insist on the submission of design and drawings signed by all four stakeholders namely, the owner, builder of approved qualifications, qualified architect and structural engineer of specified qualifications before the permit to build is issued.

  iii.            To insist on submission of a building schedule (check list) along with the application indicating the data and the standards that will be followed, to be cleared by one of the empanelled experts by the competent authority.

  iv.            Building use permit be issued only after complete structural design adopted, material test certificates and other safety certificates for fire and electrical installations etc. are submitted to the satisfaction of the local authority.

     v.            To formulate suitable legislative mechanisms for regulating the professional conduct (with penal provisions) and related responsibilities of architects, engineers (responsible for structural design and supervision) builders, developers and promoters.

  vi.            Efforts should be made to construct and maintain major hospitals, school buildings and public amenity building for storage of essential life saving materials (food, medicine), equipment and machinery for removal of damaged material, using disaster resistant technologies of a higher order, so that these buildings not only serve as good examples of disaster resistant technology but also could be utilised as relief shelters providing the necessary emergency support facilities.

vii.            Efforts for integrating seismic safety in construction practice of owner-built houses is considered a part of a comprehensive strategy that includes public awareness programs, regular consultation for house-owners, informal training to masons and contractors, and education and training programs at the community levels. Efforts must be made to build the capacity of local authorities (municipalities) in adopting seismic provision of building codes in their building permit process.