Dhaka, July 13, 2015: Japanese experts with local engineers have conducted systematic retrofitting construction work at a garment factory in Ashulia, for the first time in the country, making it earthquake resistant.
Retrofitting is a technology that could be used to make a vulnerable building earthquake resistant without demolishing it and usually it costs 30 to 40 per cent of the new construction cost of the targeted building, according to a release.
After the tragic incident of Rana Plaza, the Japanese government through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) initiated a project titled “RMG Sector Safe Environment Project” and created a Taka 100 crore fund with the Bangladesh Bank for financing the RMG owners to make their buildings safe for the workers.
Under the programme, JICA opened up the doors for the RMG owners to assess their factory buildings as well as to take the opportunity of taking JICA fund to strengthen them.
As per JICA’s call, a total of 300 RMG factories applied for being
assessed and of these factories, 214 were selected for the assessment under another JICA project called “Capacity Development on Natural Disaster Resistant Techniques of Construction and Retrofitting for Public Buildings (CNCRP)”, being implemented by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The CNCRP project and DK Knitwear Ltd, took initiative to conduct
retrofitting.
DK Managing Director Syed AQM Zahid said they were confident of structural safety as the factory was purposefully constructed as an industrial building. Zahid hoped that the retrofitting works will have a positive impact on the RMG sector in Bangladesh.
JICA’s Senior Representative Hiroyuki Tomita said Japanese technology and experience to make building earthquake resistant can help Bangladesh to strengthen its vulnerable RMG buildings for avoiding any tragic incident like Rana plaza in future. The JICA will implement a large project soon covering more vulnerable RMG buildings, he said. (Source: BSS)
