The Delhi government has informed the Delhi High Court that it has been decided that structural audits of high-rise buildings and those which are over two decades old and witnessing large footfall be conducted on top priority in a time-bound manner by a reputed agency to check preparedness for the earthquake.
The state government said it had been decided in a meeting chaired by the chief secretary that quality and calculation test checks may be carried out on a sample basis in respect of high-rise private and government buildings having high footfall or occupancy by the concerned local bodies.
“It was also decided that the high court may be apprised that necessary actions have been initiated by the ULBs (urban local bodies) to complete the entire exercise since the process is a gigantic one, as there are approximately more than thirty lakh buildings in Delhi and out of which large numbers have come up in an unplanned/unregulated manner,” the status report filed by the Delhi government said.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad Monday granted six weeks to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to file a fresh status report in the matter.
The government’s report was filed in a pending PIL by petitioner advocate Arpit Bhargava claiming that the seismic stability of buildings in Delhi was poor and in case of a major earthquake there could be a large number of casualties.
The Delhi government, in its status report filed through standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi, said keeping in view the enormous number of buildings in Delhi and out of which most of them have been constructed in an unorganized/unplanned manner, therefore, the top priority will be accorded to the high rise buildings, government and private buildings which are over 20-year-old and witness large footfall, multi-story market complex/ malls, hospitals, nursing home, colleges, schools, government, and private offices and residential buildings having carpet area of more than 2 lakh square feet.
It said the structural audit shall be conducted in a time-bound manner through a reputed agency via IIT Delhi or any other appropriate agency.
The government said it has been decided that special focus be given by the ULBs and Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) towards making publicity and mass awareness campaign through social and electronic media and FM radio to motivate the general public for structural safety audit and retrofitting of the buildings, if required, for ensuring the safety of life and property in the event of earthquakes.
It said it was decided in the June 7 meeting by the Chief Secretary that suitable amendments in Unified Building Bye Laws-2016 may be explored to ensure that certificates regarding structural safety of buildings are issued by qualified engineers after evaluating the structure and calculation of building material used for construction.
The government said the reports on the implementation of action taken pursuant to the directions of the high court by ULBs of Delhi, Public Works Department, and Delhi Development Authority reveal that out of a total of 10080 buildings identified for assessing structural safety, notices have been issued in respect of 5233 such buildings, asking the owners to furnish structural safety certificate or the details of remedial action taken in this regard.
“Further structural audit has been done in respect of 4523 buildings so far. While retrofitting has been undertaken in respect of 82 buildings, 148 unsafe buildings have also been demolished till date. It has further been reported that there are a total of 4941 high-risk buildings out of the total of 10080 buildings surveyed so far,” it said.
The petition was filed in 2015 in which the high court, from time to time, has directed the Delhi government and civic authorities to develop an action plan.
In 2020, Bhargava filed a contempt petition claiming that the court’s earlier orders on making the national capital ready to face any major earthquake have not been complied with yet.
In December 2020, the high court sought responses of the AAP government, the DDA, and the three municipal corporations on the plea seeking contempt action against them for allegedly not complying with judicial orders on ensuring seismic stability of buildings in Delhi.
In June 2020, after 11 minor tremors struck Delhi in a matter of days from April 12, 2020, onwards, Bhargava moved an application seeking the setting up of a monitoring committee to ensure timely implementation of the action plan for strengthening buildings in Delhi.
The court had, thereafter, issued several directions to the authorities to survey whether buildings in Delhi were compliant with the norms of seismic stability, identify non-compliant ones, take necessary action and also develop an action plan.
In his plea seeking contempt action against the authorities, Bhargava has said that “despite serious intervention by the high court over a period of five years”, the authorities “have shown little concern for larger public interest and did not move an inch” to formulate and implement an action plan.
He has contended that there has been a “deliberate and willful non-compliance/ violation of various orders” passed by the court.
