Experts suggest vulnerability study

Experts of a CDA probe committee have recommended that a three-storey building on Jubilee Road in Chittagong city, which tilted following the April 13 earthquake, be demolished.

Besides, they suggested that the owners of 11 other buildings that tilted due to the earthquake have seismic vulnerability assessments of their buildings done by the Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC) of Cuet or Buet.

The expenditure for demolishing the three-storey building will have to be borne by its owner. Also, the owners of the other affected buildings will have to bear the cost for the seismic vulnerability tests, the experts said in their report.

A five-member probe committee, led by Prof Jahangir Alam, former vice-chancellor of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet), was formed following the earthquake to determine the probable risk and liveability of the tilted buildings.

The buildings are located in Halishahar, Jubilee Road, Enayetbazar, Chandgaon, Aturar Depot and Wasa High Level Road areas in the city.

The committee submitted its report to CDA Chairman Abdus Salam on Wednesday.

The committee in its report also recommended that owners of the 11 tilted buildings submit the “Seismic Vulnerability Assessment Report” to the probe committee within 15 days of getting notices from the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) in this regard, sources said.

 Steps could be taken to demolish the “unapproved part” of seven buildings located in Halishahar, Chandgaon, Aturar Depot, GEC and Wasa High Level Road areas, the report said.

The committee also suggested that different floors of those buildings be vacated and sealed off until further instructions.

Shahinul Islam Khan, member secretary of the committee, on Thursday said they submitted the report to the CDA chairman.

Contacted, Salam told this correspondent that he would talk about this on Monday.

More than 60 people were slightly injured, mostly while rushing out of buildings in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet, after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and jolted parts of Bangladesh on April 13.

The tremor was felt at 7:55pm in Bangladesh and its epicentre in Myanmar was 420km east of Dhaka. After the earthquake, the CDA identified nine buildings that tilted or were damaged. Later, the number of such buildings rose to 12.

Contacted, Prof Alam said there was a probability of huge damage in Chittagong city due to earthquake. Violation of building code, unplanned development and lack of awareness, among other things, will be the reasons behind the damage, he pointed out.

He emphasised the need for constructing earthquake-resistant buildings.

Alam also asked to increase the strength of the “risky buildings” after the assessment. He urged the authorities to create awareness among the people about earthquake.