An Architects’ Meet was held on Monday at the City Convention Centre, Imphal, to mark the Foundation Day of the Manipur Architects’ Forum (MAF). The event was organised by the Manipur Architects’ Forum in association with the Town Planning Department. Ngangom Uttam Singh, Director, IPR attended the event as Chief Guest while N. Benju Singh, Chief Town Planner, Manipur; Dr. R.K. Nimai, Retd. IAS: and Thokchom Budhabir, Jury Head, Essay Writing Competition were present as Guests of Honour. Gitkumar Nepram, President, MAF, presided over the programme. Speaking at the occasion, Uttam Singh highlighted that the role of architects goes beyond aesthetics and includes ensuring legal compliance with building byelaws, zoning regulations, and safety norms. He stressed the importance of consulting architects at the initial stage of construction to avoid future costs and legal issues. Emphasising climate change concerns, he called upon architects to design climate-responsive, green, and seismic-safe buildings, considering Manipur’s vulnerability to earthquakes and heavy rainfall.
The Chief Guest also spoke on the Online Building Approval System, deemed approval mechanism, and the accountability of empanelled architects, urging strict adherence to norms. He appealed to architects to ensure accessibility in buildings as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and Supreme Court directives. He further underscored the need to preserve and promote Manipur’s indigenous architectural identity, particularly in government buildings. The programme included distribution of prizes which includes cash awards and citations for the World Architecture Day Essay Writing Competition; felicitation of senior MAF members, and deliberations on the role of architects in combating climate change and enforcing Development Control Regulations (DCR); Special Award to Benson for being the 1st to adopt the Online Building Permit System (OBPS) in Imphal Municipal Cooperation (IMC) conferred by the Town Planning Department were the main highlights of today’s event.
A technical session was subsequently held on the themes “Role of Architects in Combating Climate Change” and “Role of Architects in Enforcing Development Control Regulations.”Dr. T. Brajakumar Singh, Director, Environment & Climate Change, Manipur, and N. Benju Singh, Chief Town Planner, delivered insightful presentations on the respective topics, highlighting the critical role of architects in sustainable development and regulatory compliance. The session was followed by an open discussion with active participation from the attendees. The technical session concluded with closing remarks by the moderator, R.K. Nimai Singh, Retd. IAS. The event was attended by officials of Town Planning Department, Manipur Architects’ Forum and students at several institutes.
