Laws enough, enforcement missing

Shafiqul Alam Laws regarding construction are not absent in the country rather those are often flouted. Again, slack enforcement of existing laws and lack of monitoring are the core reasons behind so many buildings which are vulnerable to earthquake. Though, Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), 1993, was made legally binding in 2006, constructors and developers do hardly follow this code. There are different figures regarding the total number of buildings that are vulnerable to earthquakes. According to a government study, some 78,000 buildings will be destroyed completely if a 6-magnitude earthquake shakes Dhaka originating from beneath the city, causing havoc throughout the densely populated capital city. While, in case of a 7.5-magnitude earthquake originating from Madhupur Fault some 72,000 buildings in the city will be damaged totally and many more will be damaged partially. There will be an economic loss of about US$ 1,112 million as estimated in that report, for only structural damage in case of a 7.5-magnitude earthquake from the Madhupur Fault. According to RAJUK, there are about five thousand building structures which have been identified as highly risky in Dhaka city. Some of these were built without adhering to the national building code or duly getting plans approved by RAJUK while others were built with plans approved by RAJUK but the builders, as the RAJUK alleges, deviated from the plans. With the number of tilted high-rise buildings in Dhaka city and else where in the country, due to construction faults in recent time, are increasing, the need for enforcing building code can hardly be neglected. Lack of proper supervision by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), the city development authority responsible for monitoring, suffering from acute staff shortage and other logistics, the building code, more often than not, is followed more in violation than compliance. While, the size of Dhaka city has expanded considerably over the years making it all the more difficult for RAJUK to supervise the construction of all structures, particularly high-rise buildings but proper attention has not been given to strengthen RAJUK. The developers are found running after profit and not safety of the buildings they are constructing. Two buildings in city's Nakhalpara and a piling construction site at Gulshan collapsed a few months back for not complying with the building code. The collapse of the buildings and the piling site has left adjacent houses vulnerable. The occupants of vulnerable buildings left their homes in panic. In most cases RAJUK officials can only respond when a collapse or tilting of buildings takes place. Experts suggest that the government should take unyielding action against those developers and individuals who violate building code; however, little actions are observed in reality. But proper implementation of the code can only help minimise damage to life and property in the event of tremors. We are hopeful that the recent tremor will wake up the government to recognise and act upon. To start with, a thorough risk analysis of the mega city Dhaka must commence forthwith in order to identify the risky buildings, take retrofit measures for the faulty buildings and evolve a realistic post disaster plan. Reportedly, Dhaka had featured very high in the Earthquake Disaster Risk Index (EDRI), which emerged from a study at Stanford University, conducted in 20 cities around the world in 1999. Unfortunately, though the building code is there, it seems that it has more an existence in paper as in many cases it is violated only due to sheer negligence. Not only the city is becoming unplanned but also the lives of millions are being exposed to great risks of earthquake. How Bangladesh will sustain in the event of a serious earthquake which may cause catastrophic devastation in Dhaka? Therefore, it is imperative to strengthen RAJUK in right earnest so as to make it more efficient and effective in regulating and monitoring building constructions in the capital. It is easier, safer and less costly to act now than later. The writer can be reached at email: shafiqul0032@yahoo.com