Post-collapse,BMC remembers structural audit

“Along with serving eviction notices on dilapidated buildings,the civic administration will implement the structural audit policy to ensure such disasters do not happen,” said Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte.

BMC had planned to make it mandatory for residents and owners to ensure maintenance of their buildings and facades. In case they failed to do so,it was proposed that the builder,tenant or owner could be fined or punished by disconnection of electricity or water supply.

The policy mandates an audit every five years or as suggested by the engineer or the ward officer. Also,all corrective repairs suggested by authorities should be adhered to within six months,failing which heavy penalty will be imposed.

The structural audit for all buildings older than 30 years could bring over 2.5 lakh old and cessed buildings under the net.

“We are yet to finalise the measures in case buildings fail to carry out the structural audit,” said R V Biradar,Assistant Municipal Commissioner of P South ward (Goregaon),which has a considerable number of dilapidated and old buildings.

While the policy mandates BMC to form inspection squads,ward offices have yet not set up such teams.

Shirish Sukhatme of the Practicing Engineers Architects and Town Planners Associations (PEATA) feels that that a policy on structural audit was not likely to serve the purpose. “Who will ensure that buildings are conducting timely audits? Also,does BMC have the manpower to inspect these buildings?” he said.

According to him,the root cause of the problem are bureaucratic delays and corruption in obtaining permissions for internal modifications in buildings. “This,in a way,encourages illegal modifications as residents take help from local corporators and contractors to alter structures without proper design,” said Sukhatme.

There are 959 dilapidated buildings in the city,including cessed,non-cessed and BMC-owned. These buildings house around one lakh people.

sharvari.patwa@expressindia.com