Uttarakhand overhauls building bylaws for earthquake safety standards

In view of Uttarakhand's increasing seismic vulnerability, the state government has initiated a comprehensive overhaul of its building bylaws to align with updated earthquake safety standards. The state government, in a release, said that the move follows the Indian Standard ISO 1893-2025, which classifies the entire state under a high seismic zone. It said the government will amend existing construction regulations to make them more scientific, disaster-resilient and in tune with modern engineering practices.

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Currently, Uttarakhand's building by-laws are based on the older Bureau of Indian Standards framework ISO 1893-2002.

High-Level Committee to Revise Bylaws

On the directions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has constituted a 14-member high-level committee to review and revise the existing by-laws. The committee will be chaired by R Pradeep Kumar, Director of CSIR-CBRI Roorkee, with Shantanu Sarkar, Director of ULMMC Dehradun, serving as convenor. The panel comprises representatives from CBRI Roorkee, the Bureau of Indian Standards, IIT Roorkee, BRIDCUL, the Public Works Department, the Irrigation Department, the Town and Country Planning Department, development authorities and geological experts. Architects and engineers will also be consulted during the review process.

Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan said that given Uttarakhand's fragile Himalayan terrain and growing seismic sensitivity, revising construction rules has become essential. He stated that the government aims to make building by-laws more effective, practical and capable of reducing disaster risk across both urban and rural areas.

Fostering a Culture of Safe Construction

Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Vinod Kumar Suman, said the objective is not merely regulatory change but fostering a culture of safe construction. The revised by-laws will emphasise earthquake-resistant design, geotechnical investigations, wind load assessment and structural safety. Traditional hill construction techniques and climate-responsive planning will also be scientifically integrated to ensure sustainable development.

Committee's Mandate and Implementation Plan

The committee's mandate includes reviewing current by-laws, incorporating earthquake and landslide risk mitigation measures, integrating modern construction technologies, ensuring environmental safeguards and preparing an implementation roadmap. It will also recommend training and capacity-building measures for engineers, planners and related departments.

The committee will submit its report to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority and the Housing Department, after which necessary amendments and implementation processes will be initiated, the government said. (ANI)