MINISTRY OF WORKS & HUMAN SETTLEMENT THIMPHU : BHUTAN “Towards Quality Infrastructure” (QUARTERLY NEWS LETTER) Volume: I Issue: II www.mowhs.gov.bt Date: October-December 2011 21st October 2011: Meeting on for Agriculture & Forest, Minister while constructing the buildings. It Building Codes and findings of for Works & Human Settlement, was decided that the building codes the earthquake damages in East- Secretaries, Directors, Architect for rural houses will be prepared by ern Bhutan and Haa Dzongkhag and Engineers from various agen- the Ministry and circulated by the cies and the private sector. end of 2011. A meeting to discuss the findings of the earthquake damages in eastern A presentation was made on find- Hon’ble Prime Minister questioned Bhutan and Haa Dzongkhag was ings of the earthquake damages in whether the guidelines prepared convened by the Ministry of Works Eastern Bhutan and Haa Dzongkhag were fully proved and tested ones, & Human Settlement (MoWHS) by the Bhutan Standards Bureau since everything was done in a short on 21st October 2011. The meeting (BSB). The discussion highlighted period of time. He recommended was attended by the Hon’ble Prime that the recommendations prepared that the guidelines and the models Minister, Minister for Health, Min- by BSB for construction of seismic recommended by the BSB needed ister for Economic Affairs, Minister resistant building was not followed to be re-studied. He also emphasized that the gov- affordable means of retrofitting ernment should not set standards and reinforcement of the build- like using of chisel dressed stones ings. Promoting the use of local which is very expensive. materials should be encouraged to substitute imported materials. He advised that the architects He also said that we should en- should look for innovative ideas. courage smaller houses for safety They should consider the de- and cost reasons, citing examples mographic, cultural and natu- of the developed countries like Hon’ble PM & Lyonpos from other ministries at the ral changes while designing. Japan. meeting, MoWHS Conference Hall Architects should also look at >>>continued in page 2 INSIDE • Inauguration of Samdrupchol- • Induction Program • Building Codes ing-Samrang Primary National • Bifurcation of DUDES Highway (PNH) • High Court rules in favor of Min- • Inauguration of Hordung Zam istry • Verification of Monsoon Dam- • The History of Bridge construc- ages (Eastern Bhutan) tion in Bhutan • Hon’ble Secretary’s Eastern • 11th DoR Quarterly Meeting Tour • Dechencholing LAP • E-Tool • Ground Breaking cermony at Sel- • Launching & De-launching of ibi Bridges Widening work at Gyalposhing-Nanglam Road • Digala Road construction • Training under BUDP-II 1 >>>continue from page 1 facilities. After thorough deliberation on Attic Issues in the Urban Areas: the pros and cons associated with an The meeting also highlighted a additional floor and recognizing the need to enforce the rules strictly A presentation on the issues related problems arising from the imple- while recruiting foreign laborers. to attic and the proposal submitted mentation of the Attic Rules 2002, The meeting recommended various by Thimphu Thromde for additional approval was accorded to allow an immediate and long term actions floor instead of attic was made by additional floor for the new building for implementation based on the the Secretary, MoWHS. During the constructions only with adequate lessons learnt from the severity of discussion the Thrompon, Thimphu provisions for lift system. Approval the recent earthquakes and to pre- Thromde reported that the Attic for additional floor must be consid- pare for future should such similar Rules 2002 could not be enforced ered only where feasible and based calamities strike again. Some of the by the Thromdes as it was diffi- on location, site conditions, size of other issues that were also discussed cult to administer. So the Thimphu plot and structural aspects. were construction of attics in urban Thromde Tshogde had approved areas, standardization of building construction of an additional floor components and need for parking instead of attic. However, old buildings cannot be allowed to increase their height. All buildings already constructed shall not be entitled for additional floor. The meeting also decided on conditions that would have to be met and followed by the owners as well as the architects/de- signers so as to facilitate efficient enforcement of rules and to avoid similar predicament in the future. Standardization and Prefabrication: The meeting felt that it was high time to standardize and prefabricate some components of the buildings to speed up construction, improve quality and create employment opportunities. Construction of Attics at Olakha Hon’ble Prime Minister emphasized that if some of parking facilities. The Thrompon, Thimphu Thromde the components are standardized, it will also help the reported that while drawings are approved by the Natural Resources Development Corporation Limited Thromde, it is mandatory for all the buildings to have (NRDCL) and MoAF to forecast the overall require- parking facilities. It was also informed that parking fa- ment of timber. The DUDES was directed to come up cilities are being checked while issuing the occupancy with a set of standards for windows and doors. The certificate for the buildings. He reported that the Thim- Bhutan Institute of Architects was asked to assist the phu Thromde has planned a multi-storied car parking DUDES in designing of the components of the build- facility near Zangtopelri shopping area which can ac- ings to be standardized. The standards can then be commodate around 400-500 cars. given to the interested saw millers/joineries for mass production. By: Policy & Planning Division Parking Facilities: The Minister, MoWHS said that due to growing num- ber of vehicles in towns, there is a need to have proper 2 Bifurcation of the DUDES Strategy (2008) over 70% of the whether it is urban or rural area is population will be residing in urban same as the very purpose of it has The DUDES was mandated to areas by 2020. This huge demo- always been and will continue to provide technical backstopping to graphic transition from rural to ur- be to improve the quality of the ministries, line agencies, Throm- ban setting will impose tremendous life of people. Besides the differ- des, Dzongkhags and Gewogs. The pressure on requirement for infra- ence in the size and structure of the declaration of different classes of structure and services. The require- area and population and the nature Thromdes and establishment of ment for technical backstopping of economy base, the need for basic other local governments had in- will also increase correspondingly. necessary amenities and the goal to creased the demands for technical provide a comfortable living space support. In future as the 18 Class Till now much of the focus has been would remain the same in this coun- ‘B’ Thromdes grow in size and on urban development. However, it try of GNH. population some of them will even- is increasingly becoming important tually have to be upgraded to Class to bring rural areas under the ambit In order to grapple with the im- ‘A’ Thromdes. Since Municipal Af- of proper and planned development. pending urbanization and associ- fairs are new and complex area and If the high rate of rural-urban mi- ated issues that are emerging every the MoWHS and the departments in gration is a concern, then it is only day and to improve managerial ef- particular had to gear towards pro- rational to address both the pull and ficiency the Royal Government ap- viding the necessary policy direc- push factors accordingly. The rural proved the bifurcation of DUDES, tion and support to the Thromdes. areas need to be planned properly as proposed by the ministry, into the and provided with good infrastruc- Department of Human Settlement The responsibility of DUDES had ture and services to slow down mi- and the Department of Engineering increased enormously in the past gration. However, the urban centers Services in September 2010. Both years owing to increase in the num- should also prepare simultaneously will provide technical backstopping ber of urban centers and demand to accommodate inevitable migra- to the central agencies as well as the for physical infrastructure. With the tion. Thromdes, Dzongkhags and Ge- 10th Five Year Plan entering into wogs. Focus will also be accorded the second half of implementation, While the rural areas have so far re- to overall quality of infrastructure the preparation of the 11FYP has al- ceived development interventions and introduction of modern con- ready begun. from other ministries and line agen- struction technology. cies, these could be done in a more The government’s major focus in coherent and consolidated manner. the 11FYP would have to be on ur- ban development since according to The basic need and essence for the Bhutan National Urbanization proper planning irrespective of Department of Human Settle- development and environmental priate for a given topography ment: conservation.” and setting • Facilitate provision of neces- The Department of Human Settle- The objectives of the department sary infrastructure required for ment is mandated to plan and devel- are to: efficient development op all human settlements including • Provide development planning both urban and rural. The vision of • Undertake physical planning of options for the areas that require the department is “To achieve a re- the nation balancing