Most of the buildings in Patna continue to be unsafe with regard to earthquakes despite repeated appeals from the authorities to ensure retrofitting in the existing structures and safety certificates for new construction.

Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA) vice-chairman Anil Kumar Sinha said none of the existing buildings in Patna has been retrofitted to make them earthquake-resistant.

He added that the urban local bodies are not equipped to issue earthquake-safety certificates according to the prescribed guidelines for new buildings.

'No house in the state is earthquake-resistant. While the high rises (15m and above) are at greater risk, none of the existing average-height buildings is retrofitted to sustain the earthquake shocks. We are spreading awareness about the benefits of retrofitting the buildings, and we are also going to issue guidelines on the same soon,' said Sinha.

Retrofitting is the process of strengthening the existing structures through appropriate structural design and construction for better safety against earthquake.

With regard to issuance of structural safety certificate for new constructions, Sinha said: 'The municipal bodies across the state are not capable of issuing structural safety certificate as their engineers, architects and officials are not properly trained. We are soon going to start capacity building programmes for them so that this process could be streamlined,' said Sinha.

The unregulated mushrooming of buildings in Patna over the past two decades has created chock-a-block neighbourhoods, which are open invitation to disaster in case of major earthquakes, as the city is located in high-risk seismic zone-IV.

However, the state government through its new development-control regulations such as Bihar Building Byelaws-2014 and the proposed master plan for Patna has imposed various norms to ensure earthquake safety in further real estate development in the city.

The new building byelaws have prescribed mandatory provisions for the structures to be earthquake resistant.

All multi-storeyed buildings are required to get a certificate that the respective building plan and design comply with the prescribed earthquake-safety requirements before commencing construction.

The completion certificate shall also mention that the norms have been followed in the design and construction of buildings for making them earthquake-resistant.

To make sprawling and spacious neighbourhoods, the proposed master plan for Patna prescribes mandatory provisions for open, recreational and amenity spaces according to plot size and zoning regulations in the city. Around 40 per cent of the total area in the city is to be left open or green.