Shimla, Sept. 21 -- State could no longer afford to ignore construction practices in disaster-prone zones, said state town and country planning minister Rajesh Dharmani on Saturday.

He was speaking to HT on the recent cabinet decision of ensuring planned construction activities in rural areas. The state Cabinet during its recent meeting held on September 15 had approved model by-laws for regulating construction in villages, particularly in light of the devastation caused during recent monsoon seasons. Even the Supreme Court had flagged the ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh and cautioned that the entire state may "vanish in thin air" if the situation does not change.

Dharmani said that climate change is intensifying the frequency ...