The military council has issued orders regarding buildings damaged by the recent earthquake in Mandalay. According to the directive, owners of earthquake-damaged buildings must maintain an aesthetically pleasing appearance by properly enclosing affected structures, obtain permits for repairs, and all ongoing construction projects must be temporarily halted. This information was confirmed to Yangon Modern News Agency by Mandalay residents. The Mandalay City Development Committee, operating under the military council, has been distributing warning notices to property owners, instructing them to ensure proper enclosure of demolished buildings, including the use of metal sheets, to maintain visual appeal. Similar warnings have also been posted on their Facebook page.
The Mandalay City Development Committee has been conducting assessments of earthquake-damaged buildings, categorizing them with blue, orange, and red designations based on damage severity. The military council has announced that building repairs must be approved through applications to the Mandalay City Development Committee, accompanied by licensed engineers’ recommendations. Additionally, all construction projects across six townships in Mandalay have been ordered to halt temporarily. The military council’s inspection team will assess potential damage to main support columns before deciding whether to allow construction to continue.
Local residents have expressed frustration that while earthquake victims are struggling with numerous challenges, the military council has offered little practical assistance and instead focuses on issuing various orders. Those applying for permission to demolish dangerous buildings are being told to wait at least three months, with allegations that priority is given to those who can afford to pay. The situation is further complicated by construction material prices having increased three to four times their normal rates, making reconstruction efforts extremely difficult for affected residents. A owner of a tilted high-rise building in Mandalay questioned how they could maintain aesthetic appearances when they had lost their homes and construction materials were prohibitively expensive.
The military council’s approach to the earthquake aftermath has drawn criticism from local residents, who point out the disconnect between the authorities’ demands for aesthetic maintenance and the practical challenges faced by affected citizens. The requirement for obtaining permits and professional assessments, while necessary for safety, has created additional bureaucratic hurdles for those already struggling to recover from the disaster. The lack of immediate practical support, combined with the enforcement of strict regulations and extended waiting periods for demolition permits, has heightened the difficulties faced by earthquake victims trying to rebuild their lives and properties in Mandalay.
