NEW DELHI: After failing to avert the tragic building collapse in Satya Niketan that killed seven students, Delhi agencies have identified 62 buildings as “dangerous” near the accident site and in other parts of the national capital. Of these, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has already acted against 20 structures, demolishing 16 and sealing four. The remaining 42 buildings are slated for demolition or sealing on priority.
The action came after the Delhi government directed the agencies concerned to demolish dilapidated buildings declared unsafe.
“Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has expressed serious concern over the safety of workers engaged in construction work in buildings around the incident site in Satya Niketan. The MCD had been directed, in the interest of public safety, to demolish dilapidated buildings located near the accident site.
Delhi Fire Service personnel are systematically removing the belongings of students from inside the building and safely bringing them out. All students and local residents are requested to cooperate with the authorities. The Chief Minister also directed that no construction work of any kind be carried out there until safety is ensured, and that activities posing a risk to the lives of workers be stopped immediately. No compromise with the safety of citizens will be accepted at any level in Delhi,” the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated on Tuesday.
According to sources, a report was circulated among the concerned departments of the civic agency after the building collapse on September 7 so that action could be initiated against structures considered unsafe.
The survey classified 62 structures as dangerous based on information compiled from different MCD zones. Of these, 50 fall under the maintenance category, while 12 have been listed under the building category.
The report also records instances where dangerous buildings were evacuated and repairs undertaken. However, 42 of the structures identified in the survey still require further action, including demolition or sealing.
Sources said that, as every year, the agencies have set a target of surveying more than 32 lakh houses across the city this year. The ongoing exercise has also identified 377 houses requiring repairs. So far, repairs have been completed in 27 of these houses, while the remaining cases continue to be monitored.
It may be noted that the collapsed building in Satya Niketan was constructed in the 1990s on a plot measuring around 55 square yards in a resettlement colony. The structure reportedly had neither a sanctioned building plan nor approval for use as a boys’ hostel.
The building was vacated a year ago, but PG accommodation was resumed by the owner a few months ago. Residents in the area claimed that the collapse occurred due to ongoing repair work and water accumulation in the basement. However, investigation agencies are ascertaining the exact cause of the tragedy.