North DMC issues 115 notices seeking structural audit report

New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): The North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday issued 115 notices to schools, residential group housing societies, institutional buildings etc to submit the structural audit reports to ensure seismic stability of the buildings.
These notices have been issued by North DMC in view of the instructions of High Court of Delhi and keeping in view the occurrence of multiple earthquakes in a short span of time, an official release by the North DMC read.
"The notices are issued for the submission of structural audit report within 30 days from the date of notice with the concerned Zonal Executive Engineer (B) of North Corporation. The buildings shall have to be retrofitted, if required as per structure audit, under the supervision of a registered structural engineer, within a further period of 6 months. Non-submission of the report on time may attract strict action as per law," the release added.
Engineering Department has informed that a list of empanelled structural engineers is available on MCD Website and they may be engaged for structural audit work, premier engineering institutions like IIT Delhi, DTU and engineering institutions under Delhi University/IP University or other institutions recognized by AICTE have also been requested to undertake work of structural audit.
As per the action plan notified by GNCT of Delhi in the first phase, the structural safety of high rise buildings of government/private is to be completed within two to three years time frame and thereafter the buildings falling in moderate and lower risk matrix shall be taken up. In the second phase, the buildings coming under the lower risk matrix, as well as those falling in the jurisdiction of unauthorised/unauthorised regularised/village abadis/re-settlement colonies/special areas, shall be taken up.
Initially, a list of about 25 municipal buildings/other government building has also been prepared in the zones for structural audit. Agencies like IIT Delhi, Delhi Technical University (DTU), National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM) are being requested to carry out the structural audit of these buildings.
The three Municipal Corporations have fixed a deadline of six months for obtaining a 'structural safety certification' from all the buildings, with the emphasis being on older buildings which have come up before the seismic provisions were incorporated in the building by-laws of Delhi. (ANI)