Over 375 houses, buildings in Delhi identified as dangerous or under structural stress

NEW DELHI: Civic agencies in Delhi have identified over 375 houses and buildings as dangerous or under structural stress and have undertaken demolition and repair exercises following the directions of Lt Governor V K Saxena, officials said on Thursday. In a survey by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), 112 houses in Sadar Paharganj and 101 in the Civil Lines area were found dangerous, they said.

Saxena on June 27 instructed the MCD and New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to identify dangerous buildings prone to collapsing during the rainy season and ensure their demolition or repair.

The NDMC had formed two teams under the supervision of its engineers for the survey conducted up to the first week of July that found 110 premises under “structural stress”. It is taking appropriate action to prevent any incident during the rains, an officer said.

The MCD, till July 1, surveyed 24,73,179 out of 26,62,135 houses in the city of which 266 were declared dangerous and notices were issued to the owners, said an officer of the civic body.

In the erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation zones over 10,32,393 houses were surveyed, of which 755 were found repairable and 265 declared dangerous. A total of 34 houses were repaired, official figures showed.

The highest number of dangerous buildings (112) were identified in the Sadar Paharganj zone through visual inspection. Fourteen buildings were demolished in the zone, the figures showed.

Further, 497 advisory notices were issued to the owners of the properties, directing them to carry out immediate repairs. The demolition and repair works were undertaken by the civic body as well as the owners, officials said.

In the erstwhile South Delhi Municipal Corporation zones, 1,05,684 houses were surveyed and one house was found dangerous in the Yusuf Sarai area but its demolition in May this year could not be carried out due to a court stay on it.

In the erstwhile East Delhi Municipal Corporation zones, 3,83,102 houses were surveyed and none was found dangerous while 27 needed repairs, officials added.

The L-G had issued written directions to the special officer and commissioner of MCD and the
chairman of NDMC to undertake the exercise and submit an action taken report within a
fortnight.
He had asked the officers to ensure no untoward incident happens due to dangerous buildings
during the rainy season.
The civic bodies were also directed to prepare an action plan for effective disaster management
in consultation with district magistrates to prevent any tragedy in densely populated areas where
access to fire tenders and other equipment could be restrictive.