For people living, working or studying in an older multi-storey building in Delhi, the safety of the structure may soon come under closer scrutiny.The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has directed owners of certain older high-rise and high-footfall buildings to conduct mandatory structural safety audits within three months, citing concerns over building collapses and the city’s seismic vulnerability.The directive covers buildings constructed under sanctions issued before March 21, 2001, with the scope extending beyond conventional high-rises to include several buildings where large numbers of people gather.
Which buildings will need a structural audit?
According to a public notice issued by the DDA on Thursday, structural safety audits will be mandatory for all high-rise buildings measuring 15 metres or more that were sanctioned before March 21, 2001.The audit will have to be completed within three months.The requirement will also apply to buildings that are below 15 metres but have high footfall, provided they were sanctioned before the cut-off date. These include:
- Group housing buildings
- Educational institutions
- Hospitals
- Institutional buildings
- Cinema halls
- Assembly buildings
- Malls and other buildings covered by the directive
The DDA said the requirement comes against the backdrop of recent building collapse incidents in Delhi that have raised concerns over the structural integrity of older buildings.A building collapse in South Delhi’s Satya Niketan recently claimed seven lives. In another incident at Saidulajab in Saket, six people died after a building collapsed.A separate collapse was also reported in Karawal Nagar, although no deaths were reported in that incident.
Delhi’s earthquake vulnerability
The DDA’s directive also takes into account Delhi’s seismic vulnerability.The national capital is located in Seismic Zone IV because of its proximity to the Himalayas.According to officials, the zone has fairly high seismicity, with earthquakes of magnitude 5 occurring frequently.The DDA has therefore asked building owners to have their structures assessed for structural safety, including against earthquakes.Structural engineers empanelled with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, government institutes and other government agencies will be eligible to conduct the audits.The DDA notice said that after the assessment, owners would be required to undertake retrofitting and other corrective measures wherever necessary.Owners who fail to comply with the directions could face action, according to the order.
Earlier earthquake-safety measures
The latest DDA directive follows other measures aimed at improving the earthquake resilience of buildings in the capital.After the deadly earthquake in Myanmar last year, which claimed at least 3,000 lives, the Public Works Department issued an order in April this year to survey and retrofit essential buildings to make them earthquake-resistant.The DDA’s latest directions now place a specific three-month deadline on structural safety audits for older high-rise and high-footfall buildings covered by its notice.
