YCDC Performs Final Check on 55 High-Rise Buildings

By Kyaw Hsu Mon 12 September 2016

RANGOON — Rangoon’s high-rise review committee has performed the final check on 55 new buildings and is preparing to inspect a remaining 130 structures, U Than Htay, head of Yangon City Development Committee’s (YCDC) building department, told the Irrawaddy.

Of the 55 buildings inspected from Sept. 8-9, 43 were approved and the developers of 12 buildings were urged to re-submit their design plans with recommended changes.

“We’ve told 12 developers to check drainage systems and car parking, and to carefully place the generators and transformers where they cannot harm others. These are our suggestions for them before giving them the green light,” U Than Htay said.

Since May, the Rangoon Division government has suspended more than 200 high rise construction projects in the city because they were not in line with urban planning standards.

“These buildings have yet to get final approval, because we will check their construction step by step,” U Than Htay added.

U Thant Sin Hein, managing director of Nay Kabar Myanmar construction, has now re-submitted his construction design for a project in Hlaing Township. He was among those told by the review committee that changes were needed to his proposed parking area, among other things.

“Especially the car parking design—they asked me to extend the space. It will cost me, but I have to set it up to get approval,” he said.

The review committees have checked a total of more than 200 buildings since July. Earlier in August, the divisional government ordered that the intended heights of 12 buildings under construction be reduced, that planned parking facilities be upgraded, and that safety standards be improved then approved.

U Ye Min Oo, spokesperson for the high-rise review committee, said that construction had not been ordered to be halted on any of the buildings inspected from Sept 8-9.

Both U Than Htay and U Ye Min Oo said that 130 building plans are awaiting inspection and approval.

“The rest of the 130 buildings have yet to start construction, so it’s easy to check now,” U Ye Min Oo said.

The YCDC’s high-rise review committee will check 65 buildings which are between nine and 12.5 stories. The regional Committee for Quality Control of High Rise Buildings Projects (CQHP) will check another 65 proposed buildings which are 13 stories or above, before the review committee will also examine the plans.

According to the YCDC, the previous Rangoon divisional government and municipal council had given “initial approval” for proposals to more than 200 high rise buildings from 2013 until March 31 of this year.