Siliguri, Sept. 20: The state government today decided to stop the registration of buildings in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri for a fortnight even as the authorities repaired most of the roads damaged in the earthquake in the hills.
The order to restrict the registration came from north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb. He today toured Siliguri, along with mayor Gangotri Datta, to check the buildings which had developed cracks.
“The mayor will ask the registrars not to allow the registration of any building in the next 15 days, during which the total damage would be ascertained. I will also talk to the municipal affairs department to ensure that the rules to regulate the construction of buildings in seismic zones like Siliguri are followed,” Deb told journalists.
The minister said the government would call in technical experts from IIT, Roorkee, to inspect the damaged buildings. “We would obtain the chief minister’s assent and bring in the experts here to study the damaged buildings and recommend necessary measures.”
Siliguri College, Baradakanta Vidyapith and the hostel of Siliguri Girls’ High School were among the buildings the minister visited today. The boarders of the hostel have been provided with alternative accommodation after the tremor.
A building was tilted towards the adjacent structure at Bidhan Road. Both Deb and Datta inspected the building.
“Engineers of our PWD cell have inspected the inclined building. The chances of an immediate collapse are remote,” said the mayor.
In the Darjeeling hills, the administration has started repairing roads wide opened by the tremor on Sunday evening. A number of roads were hit by landslides and the boulders blocking traffic have already been cleared.
“Minor landslides had hit the road between Kurseong and Darjeeling at many points. But the road has been restored for traffic now,” said an administrative official, who is closely co-ordinating the restoration with local bodies and NGOs.
The official said a status report would be prepared on the damage caused to buildings, roads and others structures by the quake as directed by the chief minister. He said most buildings in Kurseong had developed cracks and their repair would commence soon.
In Kalimpong subdivision, NH31A has been opened and the treasury office has been shifted to Town Hall. The traffic on the highway had been disrupted by boulders that rolled down from the hillside in the tremor. Several buildings, including the one where treasury office used to function.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has also started the assessment of the damage. “Our local committees have been asked to prepare a list of structures struck by the quake. The report will be sent to the state government for necessary help. I will also request the Centre to set up a disaster management cell in Darjeeling,” said Morcha president Bimal Gurung.
State minister for jails Shankar Chakraborty also made rounds in Siliguri. He is visiting jails in north Bengal to see whether the earthquake has caused any damage to prisons.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110921/jsp/siliguri/story_14533060.jsp
The order to restrict the registration came from north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb. He today toured Siliguri, along with mayor Gangotri Datta, to check the buildings which had developed cracks.
“The mayor will ask the registrars not to allow the registration of any building in the next 15 days, during which the total damage would be ascertained. I will also talk to the municipal affairs department to ensure that the rules to regulate the construction of buildings in seismic zones like Siliguri are followed,” Deb told journalists.
The minister said the government would call in technical experts from IIT, Roorkee, to inspect the damaged buildings. “We would obtain the chief minister’s assent and bring in the experts here to study the damaged buildings and recommend necessary measures.”
Siliguri College, Baradakanta Vidyapith and the hostel of Siliguri Girls’ High School were among the buildings the minister visited today. The boarders of the hostel have been provided with alternative accommodation after the tremor.
A building was tilted towards the adjacent structure at Bidhan Road. Both Deb and Datta inspected the building.
“Engineers of our PWD cell have inspected the inclined building. The chances of an immediate collapse are remote,” said the mayor.
In the Darjeeling hills, the administration has started repairing roads wide opened by the tremor on Sunday evening. A number of roads were hit by landslides and the boulders blocking traffic have already been cleared.
“Minor landslides had hit the road between Kurseong and Darjeeling at many points. But the road has been restored for traffic now,” said an administrative official, who is closely co-ordinating the restoration with local bodies and NGOs.
The official said a status report would be prepared on the damage caused to buildings, roads and others structures by the quake as directed by the chief minister. He said most buildings in Kurseong had developed cracks and their repair would commence soon.
In Kalimpong subdivision, NH31A has been opened and the treasury office has been shifted to Town Hall. The traffic on the highway had been disrupted by boulders that rolled down from the hillside in the tremor. Several buildings, including the one where treasury office used to function.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has also started the assessment of the damage. “Our local committees have been asked to prepare a list of structures struck by the quake. The report will be sent to the state government for necessary help. I will also request the Centre to set up a disaster management cell in Darjeeling,” said Morcha president Bimal Gurung.
State minister for jails Shankar Chakraborty also made rounds in Siliguri. He is visiting jails in north Bengal to see whether the earthquake has caused any damage to prisons.
Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110921/jsp/siliguri/story_14533060.jsp