April 05, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 16, 1428

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, April 4: A Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) report on Wednesday said that substandard material was being used in rebuilding houses in the earthquake-hit areas, despite government claims that houses were being built to withstand severe tremors.

According to PPAF, the blocks available in the local market could withstand a pressure of only 200-600 pounds per square inch, which was far below the international threshold of 1,900 PSI.

A press release issued by PPAF said the construction material was also not up to the specification issued by the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority.

Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority had recommended using blocks which were 12 inches long, eight inches wide and six inches thick.

Chief Executive PPAF Kamal Hayat said that the blocks available in the NWFP and Azad Kashmir were only six inches wide and these were being used by house owners for building six-inch thick walls.

The PPAF said that for the first time it had developed metallic moulds to make safe and reliable concrete blocks for use as the basic masonry unit in the reconstruction of houses in earthquake-ravaged areas.

"These custom-built moulds are suitable for making blocks that are earthquake-resistant and are in accordance with Erra guidelines," said Kamal Hayat.

The PPAF, he said, was also training communities in these areas to enable people to make quality blocks themselves by using well-established techniques.

He said that although Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority had allowed the people to build houses, they had been asked to construct buildings in accordance with the authority’s guidelines.