As many as eight structures in the Sadar-Paharganj zone, which have made it to the list of ‘Structurally Precarious Buildings’ in the municipal corporation’s 2017 survey, have, in fact, been on the list for many years now, with no action taken in this regard, whatsoever. The visibly crumbling buildings could spell disaster for the densely populated area.
According to the survey, of the 10 precarious buildings identified in north Delhi, at least four of the eight in the Sadar-Paharganj zone are located in extremely narrow alleys of the old North Delhi area. As many as 22 more buildings have been identified as “repairable”.
“We have served notices to these dangerous properties under Section 348 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act. We are following up on the action taken by the owners concerned. Usually, we do a visual survey. Then if the engineers find signs such as cracks or bends, they inspect the interiors and issue notices,”a senior civic official said.
Though the technique seems obsolete, officials said this is the way the engineering and maintenance department conducts the annual surveys before the monsoon.
Meanwhile, many are finding it hard to believe that the three municipal corporations could find only 15 buildings in all as “dangerous” in a city that has been witnessing frequent building collapses. Of these, 10 are in north Delhi, four in east Delhi, and a single one in south Delhi.
Sources added that though this report is prepared every year, it is hardly shared within the departments. And this life and death issue is not raised in House meetings.
Earlier this month, a four-storeyed building collapsed in east Delhi’s Lakshmi Nagar area, injuring five people. The survey, which was conducted in April, had not listed this building as dangerous.
In fact, east Delhi, which has been built on the Yamuna floodplains, falls in the Seismic Zone -IV (high damage risk zone), and has over 130 unauthorised colonies, has a history of building collapses. For instance, in 2010, 67 people lost their lives in the Lalita Park building collapse. The building was never identified as dangerous.
2017 SURVEY FINDINGS
- South corporation: 8.2 lakh houses inspected, 1 found dangerous
- North corporation: 3.17 lakh houses inspected, 10 found dangerous
- East corporation: 4.2 lakh houses inspected, 4 found dangerous
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