NEW DELHI: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has started issuing ‘notices’ to visibly vulnerable buildings, older than 20 years or 15-metre tall structures, requiring seismic structure stability.
According to senior officials of the agency, till Tuesday, about 100 structures including commercial complexes and housing societies have been served notices.
“The owners and occupants need to get a structural safety audit of their properties by any empanelled structure safety engineer or any premier/ recognised establishments such as IIT or All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approved institution. If the report declares a structure safe, one will need to submit the same with the reply within six months,” said the official, adding that non-compliance would lead to prosecution under Delhi Disaster Management Act (DDMA).
Earlier, the authority had issued instructions for structural safety audit of all buildings sanctioned before March 21, 2001. It is mandatory for a high rise building (15 metre or above) while the occupants of other buildings were also advised to arrange the review, said another official.
The development came after the directions of the Delhi High Court, which is hearing a petition seeking setting up of a monitoring committee to ensure timely implementation of the action plan for strengthening buildings in the city.
The petition filed by Arpit Bhargava, a lawyer, is pending since 2015. He filed a fresh application in the matter after a series of low-intensity tremors in the city between April and July during the lockdown period.
Delhi-NCR has been identified as the second highest seismic hazard zone (Zone IV). The city experienced over a dozen earthquakes in the four months however no major loss or life or property was reported. The last earthquake of magnitude 4.7 occurred on June 8.
“Visual inspection of the buildings is underway. If the structure is found unsafe, rebound hammer tests and frequency tests are done to check its integrity. The high rises or other edifices such as houses or offices complexes constructed after 2001 should also go for the structural safety test,” said he.
The three municipal corporations have also been sending notices to property owners and occupants of the buildings which are older than 30 years.