Islamabad: Experts at the Iqbal Institute of Policy Studies (IIPS) on Tuesday developed consensus that the government needs to standardise building bylaws in order to avert collapses in the country, a news source reported. The experts held a session to discuss the enforcement of a regulatory framework and construction codes, improvements in land regulation and building controls, and the standardisation of building bylaws.
They shared data which indicated that by 2030, 45.6% of the country’s population would be residing in cities. However, they added, that there was a lack of safety codes when constructing buildings, which led to frequent incidents of building collapses.
The experts attending the live session stressed the need to completely rethink cities and urban spaces. They added that this measure was necessary for encouraging environment-friendly, resilient, and sustainable development practices.
In addition to standardisation of building bylaws, the session highlighted several factors including poor designs, lack of testing before and after construction, foundation failures, lack of maintenance, fault inspection, periodical building checks, and uneven consistency of the concrete used during construction activities.
The experts also recommended policies in light of current state of the construction sector and infrastructure quality in the country.
