SHIMLA, Aug. 9 — The Himachal Pradesh government is preparing a three-tier policy to regulate construction in disaster-prone areas, including riverbanks, nullahs, and slopes vulnerable to flash floods and landslides, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani said Saturday.
The plan would mandate safety certification for all buildings, bridges, and other structures, with designs conforming to Public Works Department norms. “We are working to check haphazard construction and ensure safety norms are followed, even in rural areas,” Dharmani told PTI Videos.
The move comes after 112 deaths in the current monsoon season and estimated losses of more than ₹1,900 crore from cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods. In 2022, 540 people died in monsoon-related disasters, with damage topping ₹10,000 crore.
Under the proposed system, urban local body commissioners and executive officers will enforce rules in towns, deputy commissioners and SDMs in Special Area Development Authority (SADA) regions, and panchayat secretaries in rural areas. Construction on plots over 1,000 square meters is already covered under the Town Planning Act.
Dharmani said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu aims to make Himachal a “green state” by March 2026. He also warned that most private buildings lack earthquake-resistant features, despite the state’s location in seismic zones IV and V. “Retrofitting is necessary for the safety of such buildings,” he said.
The minister linked rising disaster frequency to climate change, calling for compensation to states like Himachal with lower carbon emissions. “Cooperation of people is necessary for enforcing safety norms and minimising the impact of climate change and natural disasters,” he added.
