INSPECTIONS to assess the earthquake and disaster resilience of schools, hospitals, and office buildings in Yangon Region will begin on 1 July to categorize them by risk level, according to Yangon Region Minister for Development Affairs U Myo Myint Aung.
The minister provided this update on the sixth day of the second regular session of the Yangon Region Hluttaw, held on 22 June, in response to a question from U Kyaw Min Htet, the representative for the Kyauktada Township Constituency 2.
The project will be implemented by the Yangon City Development Committee’s Engineering Department (Buildings), in collaboration with the Myanmar Engineering Council and the Myanmar Earthquake Committee.
“We have planned to start the earthquake and natural disaster inspection and testing processes on 1 July to systematically inspect schools, hospitals, and office buildings and categorize them by their risk levels,” he said.
Furthermore, discussions are underway with the relevant engineering departments to prioritize reconstruction efforts based on the structures’ risk level.
Section 51 of the Yangon City Development Law stipulates that a building is considered hazardous if it is deemed unfit for use. Despite their buildings not being classified as hazardous, owners have been instructed to carry out repairs to visibly deteriorating ones as soon as possible, under the close supervision of Registered Construction Engineers, the minister added. — TWA/ZN
