Most buildings not approved by our panel of engineers, Corporations tells HC

The affidavits were submitted in response to a PIL filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava earlier this month. The plea had pointed out that many unauthorised constructions in the city were vulnerable to damage if there was a high-magnitude earthquake. The PIL had also sought court orders for creation of an action plan to tackle the problem.

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The corporations also stated that only about 25 per cent of the buildings in the city are in approved/ authorised colonies while the remaining 75 per cent are in unauthorised/regularised or in village areas which were constructed without proper approvals. “Due to scarcity of approved flats and their high prices, the weaker sections of society constructed their houses in unauthorised colonies which were subsequently regularised by the government,” the affidavit filed by the East corporation stated.

The corporations have now said that the “owners/occupiers of old and existing buildings should get their buildings checked from the empanelled structural engineers and should strengthen their buildings”.

Further the corporations suggested that the Delhi government should “propose an attractive scheme for redevelopment of such areas by amalgamating small plots so that old, unsafe buildings can be removed in a phased manner”.

The corporations, however, have informed the court that they carry out a survey of dangerous buildings prior to the monsoon season every year. They also said they train MCD engineers to conduct rapid visual screenings of the structural stability of old buildings in the city.
Training programmes on earthquake disaster mitigation and management are underway, the civic bodies said.

The MCDs also stated that the draft amendment to the existing unified building bylaws, 1983, have been sent to the Union Ministry for Urban Development.

“A new chapter, 9, has been added to include provisions of structural safety, natural disaster, fire and safety services. Design and safety provisions, according to the 2005 National Building Code, have also incorporated in it,” the affidavit stated.

The court will now hear the matter further on August 26.