Taking into consideration the loss suffered by Manipur due to the earthquake that struck the region last Monday, the Meghalaya Cabinet today ordered safety auditing of all existing infrastructure and "lifeline buildings" in the state.
"There is a need for the authorities to have safety auditing of the existing infrastructure, particularly the lifeline buildings in the state," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters after chairing the Cabinet meeting.
"Are our hospitals designed and built to withstand the kind of tremor that can strike this part of the region? Is the Deputy Commissioner, police headquarter, Superintendent of Police offices designed and built in that format or not needs to be audited on an urgent basis," he said.
"I have directed all authorities concerned to urgently attend to this issue and get all experts to work on this," he said, adding that the exercise has never been done in the Meghalaya.
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region last Monday, with its epicentre in Manipur, claimed eight lives and left over 90 injured besides damaging over 350 buildings in that state.
There are reports of minor cracks in buildings in the state capital and the administration have been asked to submit a report on the matter.
