The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), through its Building By-Law Department, has halted construction work on a multi-storey building at Mawlai Mawkynroh in Mawlai By-pass and the Council have seek for clarification from NIT on sending two reports.
Following the May landslide incident due to Cyclone Remal, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) commissioned NIT Shillong to assess the building’s safety and the stability of the surrounding area, as initial observations suggested the structure was poorly built and located in a collapse-prone zone.
Executive Member for Building By-Law, Teiborlang Pathaw, stated that the KHADC and SDMA are assessing the matter with urgency, especially after parents of students in nearby schools voiced concern. Pathaw explained that NIT’s first report in July identified the building as a safety risk, but a second report later contradicted this, claiming it was stable. Due to these discrepancies, the KHADC has requested an explanation from NIT regarding the two conflicting reports.
Pathaw added that KHADC has notified the Rangbah Shnong of Mawkynroh and the building owner to halt all work until the clarification is received.
On the broader issue of building permits, Pathaw mentioned that KHADC has received 814 applications under the Building By-Law. So far, 642 permits have been issued after thorough site inspections and while no applications have been outright denied, the council has instructed owners to address any identified deficiencies before proceeding with construction.
