NEW DELHI: Residents living near the building that recently collapsed at Gali Sheesh Mahal in the Chawri Bazar area who were asked by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to ensure structural safety audits of their buildings are struggling to complete the exercise.
Abdul (name changed), one of the residents who has received a notice for the safety audit said, “We received this notice right after the tragedy (Chawri Bazar collapse) and now we are trying to get the check done, even though we do not know how exactly to go about this. It is a new struggle for us but since we have been asked to, we have to do this.”
According to an MCD official, the cost of arranging these assessments, estimated at `10,000–15,000, is supposed to be borne by the residents.
Another resident who also got the notice but refused to be named said, “We do not how much we have to spend for this. In case it is too expensive, it will be difficult for us.”
The notices have brought into focus a larger question over the corporation’s role in identifying structurally vulnerable buildings across the city, particularly in older and densely populated areas where the condition of adjoining structures can also come under scrutiny after a collapse.
A structural audit refers to a systematic, engineering-led inspection of a building’s structural elements including columns, beams, slabs, foundations, and load-bearing walls, which is done to assess their current strength, detect deterioration and most importantly determine whether the structure remains safe for continued use.
Speaking about it, former MCD Works Committee chairman Jagdish Mamgain questioned whether the corporation has a comprehensive system to identify buildings at risk before an accident occurs. “The civic body cannot limit its response to issuing notices to neighbouring properties after a collapse and leave residents to arrange inspections on their own.”