L-G orders for identification of vulnerable bldgs

Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal directed the local bodies on Monday to focus on the structural safety of city buildings, and to identify vulnerable buildings. He also directed the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to explore the possibility of setting up a State Disaster Response Force and disaster shelters in the Capital, and to carry out regular drills to step up the preparedness and response levels.

The directions were issued during a meeting with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and other state government officers. The meeting was held in the wake of several incidents of building collapse in the national Capital.

"The standards of structural safety should be incorporated in the building by-laws and should be strictly adhered to, without any deviation," Baijal said, while directing that the local bodies should physically verify vulnerable buildings and introduce measures to incentivise their upgrade, given the potent risk of earthquakes in Delhi.

He also directed the Delhi Police to explore the possibility of setting up a State Disaster Response Force, besides identifying adequate number of disaster shelters at various locations in the city.

Observing that only continuous training modules can help prepare the Civil Defence Volunteers to appropriately respond to all kinds of natural and man-made disasters, Baijal stressed on the need for enhancement of capacity-building facilities.

He further noted that the community was the first responder and adequate measures must be taken to spread awareness regarding prevention and preparedness, so that the risk can be minimised.