After the heavy losses caused by recent natural disasters, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to tighten construction rules and empower Panchayats to act against illegal works. It will now be mandatory for people to get structure designs and maps approved under the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act before beginning any building activity.
Panchayat representatives will be authorised to inspect construction sites and verify whether maps have been approved by TCP. In cases where maps are not cleared, Panchayats will inform the concerned department, and action will be initiated against violators.
The move comes after the collapse of several houses that were either built without approved maps or too close to rivers and drains. Many of these structures were damaged when the water level rose during the disaster. To avoid such situations in the future, the government has directed that construction must maintain a distance of seven meters from drains and 150 meters from rivers.
Families whose houses were destroyed have been promised compensation, with the government releasing ₹7 lakh along with ₹70,000 for household goods. District administrations have started disbursing aid while also issuing new building guidelines for safer construction.
Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani said that the government is determined to prevent unsafe construction practices. “Panchayats are being strengthened with new powers to check violations. A geologist’s report has already been made mandatory for government buildings, and we are considering extending this requirement to private buildings as well,” he said.
With Panchayats now part of the monitoring process, the government hopes to ensure disaster-resilient construction and reduce risks for communities living in vulnerable areas.
