Srinagar, Oct 30: National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), in collaboration with the Indian Buildings Congress (J&K Chapter), organized a national level Webinar on “Earthquake-Safe Construction Practices, with Focus on Traditional Taq System.”
In his inaugural address, Dr. Amir Ali Khan, Head, Resilient Infrastructure Division, NIDM, underlined the importance of traditional and indigenous construction methods in enhancing regional disaster resilience. He mentioned that traditional buildings systems are also prevalent in other earthquake prone regions such as Himachal Pradesh and North East.
Er. Aamir Ali, Chairman, Indian Buildings Congress (J&K Chapter), highlighted the historical evolution and resilience of timber-laced masonry (Taq) houses, which have withstood several major earthquakes over centuries. He emphasized the need to integrate the wisdom of traditional construction with modern engineering for safer and more sustainable buildings.
Delivering the technical presentation, Dr. Hakim Sameer Hamdani, Design Director, INTACH Kashmir, gave a detailed presentation on the Taq system, and explained that Taq is a composite, earthquake resistant technique using brick, clay mortar, timber and stone. The embedded timber lacing ties the walls together, providing ductility and allowing the building to flex and absorb seismic shocks.
The Webinar was attended by over 100 participants, including academicians, engineers, architects, students and members of the Indian Buildings Congress from across the country.
The session was moderated by Azra Mahwash, Consultant, NIDM, and co-moderated by Prateek Roshan, Consultant, NIDM.
