70% east Delhi buildings prone to quake-damage

An estimated 70% of buildings in east Delhi were prone to damage in an earthquake, Delhi Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna said on Thursday and called for immediate focus on retrofitting and rebuilding.  "Seventy percent of buildings in east Delhi are unsafe and prone to serious damage in case of earthquake," Khanna said at a seminar on reducing earthquake risks. He said  analysis of the retrofitting needed should be done on a priority basis.“The buildings should be identified and retrofitted. Buildings where retrofitting is not possible should be rebuilt,” he said.Khanna said the government can come up with a plan for those who cannot afford to rebuild. “We can involve DDA (Delhi Development Authority). The flats can be given to the residents of those buildings for temporary use, and additional accommodation may be built so builders can recover their cost,” he suggested.National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Vice Chairman M. Shashidhar Reddy said engineers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi were being trained to identify the retrofitting needs in the buildings. “The first batch of engineers will start training by April 24,” he said.He also said the country needed a 'retrofitting policy' and NDMA would soon be coming up with one.