POLICIES ON LIFELINE BUILDINGS

 

Important lifeline buildings that need to be in a robust working condition during a disaster include hospitals, schools, police stations, telephone exchanges, post offices and radio stations. The following measures must be ensured for these buildings-

 

• Engineers, architects or experienced building professionals must be involved to make these buildings disaster resistant.

• The sequence of design for such buildings should be- flood risk assessment, land use planning to minimize vulnerability, reducing flood risk by creating defence mechanisms, minimising the consequences by designing for resistance, resilience and recovery and reassessment of impact on safety of occupants and functioning of these buildings.

• Such buildings should be located on grounds higher than the maximum expected flood based on historical data for the area. If there is a constraint of availability of land, the plinth of the building should be raised at least 0.5m above the maximum expected flood level.

• Basement walls of these buildings should be adequately designed and waterproofed to counter water pressure and arrangements should be made to relieve the water pressure through a footing drain system and sump pump.

• All cracks in the area prone to flooding must be repaired and adequately water-proofed.

• Barriers such as earthen berms or concrete floodwalls should be installed to prevent flood water from entering such buildings and campuses.

• A robust drainage system should be put in place to ensure that even if flood water enters the area, it does not stay there for long. Natural drainage and topography of the site should be given due consideration while designing the building.

• Drainage sumps should be periodically cleaned and pumps should be always kept well maintained and in good working condition.

• Sewer back flow must be prevented by using floor drain plugs to close the sewer system’s lowest openings in the building. Alternatively suitable valves may be used to achieve the same.

• Provisions for alternate sources of uninterrupted power supply such as solar power should be done in these buildings to ensure their functioning in the event of power grid failure.

• Telecommunication channels must be adequately protected from water ingress and such services for these buildings should have UPS back-up for at least 2 days.

• These buildings should have overhead water storage for drinking water strictly in accordance to the requirements mentioned in the National Building Code of India.

• There is a possibility of occurrence of multiple disasters like earthquake or landslide along with flood. Hence appropriate measures must be taken to safeguard these buildings against such events.