Constructions not up to standard

14 May 2011 10:40 am Views - 4802

It was revealed that over 60% of buildings in the country pose health hazards to residents due to not being designed in compliance to accepted design specifications.

“We have discovered that a substantial amount of constructions in the country are not designed by professionals and are therefore not designed according to proper standards. The majority of these improperly designed constructions include supermarkets, banks and many other public constructions frequently used by many for daily purposes,” Acting Architecture Department Head of the Moratuwa University, Professor Harsha Munasinghe said speaking at a program held to discuss the importance of constructing buildings in accordance to accepted design specifications and standards.

Disability activist and accessibility advisor Dr. Ajith C. Perera who also spoke at the event organized by IDIRIYA - a humanitarian organization focusing on disability rights, pointed out that it is particularly pregnant mothers, visually impaired persons, senior citizens and individuals recovering from surgeries or illnesses who are most prone to safety hazards due to the lack of standards in constructions. (Lakna Paranamanna)