Himachal govt working on regulating unchecked constructions to mitigate disaster impact: Minister
Safety norms and strict regulations would be brought to regulate the construction of houses in rural areas, the Minister said.
Construction of buildings, bridges and other structures would require certification by a safety council, and their designs are as per norms set by the public works department, he told PTI Videos.
So far, about 112 people have died in rain-related incidents in the current monsoon season as cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc, with losses of over ₹1,900 crore to the state.
Two years back, 540 people died during the monsoon and losses were estimated to be over ₹10,000 crore.
Mr. Dharmani asserted that climate change due to carbon emission was also a major cause of such disasters and added that carbon emission was quite less in the state as compared to other states and hence should be compensated for taking steps to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change.
He said the powers of the Director, Town Planning Act have been delegated to commissioners and executive officers in urban local body areas.
In Special Area Development Authority (SADA), deputy commissioners and SDMs would have the responsibility, while panchayat secretaries would have the power in rural areas for enforcing regulations and compliance, the Minister said.
Construction on plots bigger than 1,000 sqm area are already covered under the Town Planning Act, he said.
Mr. Dharmani said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu wants to make Himachal a "green state" by March 2026.
He said earthquake threats were a major cause of worry as Himachal Pradesh falls in a seismic zone and most of the private buildings don't have quake-resistant features, adding that retrofittings are required for the safety of such buildings.
Himachal Pradesh falls in seismic zones IV and V and is highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
Cooperation of people was necessary for enforcing the safety norms for checking haphazard, unplanned and unsafe constructions and minimising the impact of climate change and natural disasters, he added.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business Standard
India certainly crucial in IMEC project: Italy's envoy Francesco Talo'
India is "certainly crucial" in the transnational IMEC project because it's a huge market and producer, as also the initiative is about trade of goods, energy and data connectivity, and New Delhi is a "protagonist in all three sectors," a top Italian diplomat has said. Billed as a pathbreaking initiative, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) envisages a vast road, railroad and shipping networks among Saudi Arabia, India, the US and Europe with an aim to ensure integration among Asia, Middle East and the West. In an exclusive interview to PTI Videos earlier this week, Italy's special envoy for IMEC, Francesco Talo' also said the ambitious project was started with a "lot of hope" and such initiatives are needed especially in times of volatility and uncertainty driven by global security challenges. Talo', a seasoned diplomat, visited India recently to take part in a meeting of representatives of countries which are partners in the IMEC initiative, which was was firmed up on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023. "India is certainly crucial, because it's a huge market. It's a huge producer. So, on both aspects, it is very important. Then you know that IMEC is, let's say, a network of connectivity. I like to speak more about a network than a corridor, because it's more complicated than a one way point-to-point link," he told PTI in the interview hosted at the Italian Embassy here. This project is very much about trade, and of course goods, exchange of goods, as also very much about energy and data. And, "India is a protagonist in all three sectors," he said. So, of course, "you (India) are important", more and more as an industrial country, as a recipient market, but also as a hub for technology, and therefore from India, data, the connectivity of data, the digital connections are very important, the envoy underlined. "So we are linking India to Europe. And, here together we can be really the main actors. You know that there is a cable (project) called Blue Raman which is going to connect Mumbai with Italian harbour of Genoa in the Mediterranean, and then from Genoa all over Europe. This is crucial because data is practically the fuel of the 21st century," Talo' said. He emphasised the critical role of digital connectivity besides physical connectivity that will help power data centres and lend "more possibility and strength to our artificial intelligence and to our technologies and economy at large". Then, of course, the exchange of goods, between India and the European Union, which is forecast to "double in 10 years" as a result of the initiative, he said, without elaborating. And, energy is still absolutely necessary also for the digital economy because data centres need a lot of energy, the envoy added. During his visit to New Delhi, Talo' met the deputy National Security Advisor and a host of other senior officials in the central government. "I have had meetings with part of the administration, especially with people in the National Security Council and the external affairs ministry. And I'm planning to meet other people today (August 6) in order to better understand the importance of our partner India," he said. Talo' said discussions were held about the possibility that India can produce more and more hydrogen, green hydrogen and possibly not only for domestic consumption, but also to be exported. "This is valid very much for the Gulf countries. They have a lot of energy, they have a lot of sun, wind so they can produce. On the other hand, in Europe, we need energy. We don't produce enough. So there are, I mean, common interests in this field. Energy, digital connectivity, and of course connectivity," the envoy underlined. And, it's good that in this very city, the "first meeting" among the special envoys of IMEC was held, the diplomat said. "I was here when the initiative was launched in September 2023. I was with my Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. And, we had a clear vision of a great opportunity for our countries, for our shared interests," Talo' said, adding, IMEC was started with a "lot of hope" and it was very much linked to the idea of having important political and economic results. And, this is the moment really to have a "transition" from a phase of conferences, interviews, and some public events to a "more concrete phase of action", he asserted. In September 2023, an agreement was signed by India, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the US and some other G20 partners for the corridor. During the interaction, he also shared the reasons for Italy pitching its coastal city of Trieste as a "possible principal hub" in this corridor. On France also pitching to have Marseille, perhaps as a terminal on this corridor, Talo' said, "Well, I think that we need to have several terminals. Actually, I understand that in India there might be several ports." EU signatories Italy, France, and Germany are partners in this transnational connectivity project, and the envoy said Rome is working with the spirit of "Team Europe". Talo' shared that Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani plans to organise an IMEC-related meeting in Trieste, "by the end of this year". "It is not something formal with all the ministers. It's mainly intended to present Trieste as a great opportunity, as an ideal hub for IMEC. It will be dedicated to the business community and also to some ministers," he said. Asked if External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be invited for the meeting, he said, "Of course, the Indian minister would really be the main actor..., but it's not going to be a formal meeting. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
India is certainly crucial in IMEC project: Italy's envoy Francesco Talo'
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Talo', a seasoned diplomat, visited India recently to take part in a meeting of representatives of countries which are partners in the IMEC initiative, which was was firmed up on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023. "India is certainly crucial, because it's a huge market. It's a huge producer. So, on both aspects, it is very important. Then you know that IMEC is, let's say, a network of connectivity. I like to speak more about a network than a corridor, because it's more complicated than a one way point-to-point link," he told PTI in the interview hosted at the Italian Embassy here. Live Events This project is very much about trade, and of course goods, exchange of goods, as also very much about energy and data. And, "India is a protagonist in all three sectors," he said. So, of course, "you (India) are important", more and more as an industrial country, as a recipient market, but also as a hub for technology, and therefore from India, data, the connectivity of data, the digital connections are very important, the envoy underlined. "So we are linking India to Europe. And, here together we can be really the main actors. You know that there is a cable (project) called Blue Raman which is going to connect Mumbai with Italian harbour of Genoa in the Mediterranean, and then from Genoa all over Europe. This is crucial because data is practically the fuel of the 21st century," Talo' said. He emphasised the critical role of digital connectivity besides physical connectivity that will help power data centres and lend "more possibility and strength to our artificial intelligence and to our technologies and economy at large". Then, of course, the exchange of goods, between India and the European Union, which is forecast to "double in 10 years" as a result of the initiative, he said, without elaborating. And, energy is still absolutely necessary also for the digital economy because data centres need a lot of energy, the envoy added. During his visit to New Delhi, Talo' met the deputy National Security Advisor and a host of other senior officials in the central government. "I have had meetings with part of the administration, especially with people in the National Security Council and the external affairs ministry. And I'm planning to meet other people today (August 6) in order to better understand the importance of our partner India," he said. Talo' said discussions were held about the possibility that India can produce more and more hydrogen, green hydrogen and possibly not only for domestic consumption, but also to be exported. "This is valid very much for the Gulf countries. They have a lot of energy, they have a lot of sun, wind so they can produce. On the other hand, in Europe, we need energy. We don't produce enough. So there are, I mean, common interests in this field. Energy, digital connectivity, and of course connectivity," the envoy underlined. And, it's good that in this very city, the "first meeting" among the special envoys of IMEC was held, the diplomat said. "I was here when the initiative was launched in September 2023. I was with my Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. And, we had a clear vision of a great opportunity for our countries, for our shared interests," Talo' said, adding, IMEC was started with a "lot of hope" and it was very much linked to the idea of having important political and economic results. And, this is the moment really to have a "transition" from a phase of conferences, interviews, and some public events to a "more concrete phase of action", he asserted. 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It will be dedicated to the business community and also to some ministers," he said. Asked if External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be invited for the meeting, he said, "Of course, the Indian minister would really be the main actor..., but it's not going to be a formal meeting."
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Himachal govt to check haphazard constructions near riverbanks, nullahs
In the wake of repeated loss of lives and property, the state government will check haphazard constructions near the banks of rivers and nullahs, as well as flash floods and landslide-prone areas. In the wake of repeated loss of lives and property, the state government will check haphazard constructions near the banks of rivers and nullahs, as well as flash floods and landslide-prone areas. (PTI File) Even the governor of Himachal Pradesh, Shiv Pratap Shukla, had called for 'careful planning' of the disaster-prone areas. Town and country planning minister Rajesh Dharmani said that safety norms and strict regulations would be brought to regulate the construction of houses in rural areas. He said that the construction of buildings, bridges and other structures would require certification by a safety council, and their designs are as per norms set by the public works department. He said the powers of the director, Town Planning Act, have been delegated to commissioners and executive officers in urban local body areas while in Special Area Development Authority (SADA), deputy commissioners and SDMs would have the responsibility, while panchayat secretaries would have the power in rural areas for enforcing regulations and compliance. Already chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has decided to change the construction norms near rivers and is mulling to come up with a policy not to allow construction of government buildings with 150 meters of rivers and water bodies. The state government is formulating a policy under which no government institution will be constructed near rivers or streams. All government buildings will now be established at a safe distance of 100 to 150 meters from such water bodies. Disaster-prone areas need careful planning: Guv In wake of large-scale destruction faced by Himachal Pradesh during monsoons, Shukla on Saturday said that the people should think where and how they choose to settle, as disaster-prone areas need careful planning. He said that Union home minister Amit Shah had already sent a central team to assess the damage and had assured him that he would personally visit the state if possible. 'I will be going to Delhi soon, and if I get the opportunity, I will request the Home minister to ensure Himachal Pradesh gets maximum financial assistance based on the report. The Centre has already sanctioned ₹3,000 crore, but more will be needed to make up for the losses. I will also continue to encourage tourism in Himachal despite these challenges,' he said while talking to mediapersons at Raj Bhawan after havan on Saturday. On the issue of relaxing provisions of the Forest Conservation Act to make nautor (allotment of forest land) available to people in tribal districts under Article 5 exemptions, the governor said he had discussed the matter with revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi, tribal development minister, and local representatives from the areas concerned. 'I told them I will visit these regions in September to assess the situation myself. Those who truly need nautor land will be helped,' Shukla said.
