Residents in a fix due to shortage of structural engineers in Uttarakhand
A recent judgment by the Uttarakhand high court which makes it compulsory to seek the approval of structural engineers while clearing housing plans has left residents of the hill state in a fix. At present, there are only around 20 such certified engineers across the state. According to officials of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority, only provisional clearance is being issued for the time being as the court has made it mandatory for structural engineers to approve plans. MDDA secretary P C Dumka said, “Due to lack of certified engineers in the state, we are not approving any plans at p resent. Though we are issuing provisional clearances, it is not valid until it is approved by an engineer.” The order has created further problems for residents in far-flung areas who are forced to travel to towns like Dehradun and Haridwar as there are no certified engineers in their region. Chief town planner S K Pant said, “There are around 20 certified structural engineers in the state. Most of them are from UP and Delhi and are associated with IITs and NITs. They mostly work in major cities.” Dumka said, “The high court order has mandated the certification of structural engineers for clearance of plans even for single-storey homes (less than 6m in plains and 4.5m in hills) which wasn’t the case earlier.”
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