MCD conducts safety survey of 1,150 PGs housing 20,000 people in 1 day

NEW DELHI: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has launched a physical safety survey of paying guest (PG) accommodations within its jurisdiction, following a direction of Delhi High Court.On Tuesday, MCD teams visited 1,150 PGs across all its 12 zones and found 20,000 people were staying in the facilities. Around 40 of the buildings require minor repairs and six to eight major repair work, sources said. Their owners were advised to do the needful.“Action has been taken, particularly in Laxmi Nagar, Vishwas Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Jamia Nagar, Shaheen Bagh, Tilak Nagar, Karam Pura, Karol Bagh, Ramesh Nagar, Mansarovar Garden, Chandni Chowk and Nehru Vihar. We request people to cooperate in the drive,” MCD stated.In an order issued by its additional commissioner Monday, a checklist was provided outlining the factors to be verified during the survey. They include a building’s sanctioned plan, right of way, the number of rooms and floors and whether it has a structural stability certification.It must also be checked whether conversion charges have been paid, a Delhi Fire Services NOC has been obtained, construction has exceeded the permissible limit and, if so, by how much.While the court has ordered MCD to wrap up the survey within one week, it has decided to complete it by Sept 10. “To meet this deadline, we have pooled in staff from all our departments and asked them to check the condition of columns or load-bearing walls of the buildings,” officials said.Parallelly, LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu and CM Rekha Gupta Monday directed a comprehensive structural audit of the PGs within a week.However, MCD clarified that it does not have an in-house facility for conducting structural audits.“It is important to highlight that the staff is carrying out a physical survey to assess the condition of the PGs and identify buildings that require repairs. Conducting a structural audit is an altogether different exercise. It is time-consuming and has to be carried out by structural experts. Non-destructive testing (NDT) methods used during a structural audit evaluate concrete and steel strength, locate internal flaws and assess corrosion without damaging the building. In Delhi, where 70% to 80% of the buildings are constructed illegally, with no drawings or sanctioned plans, conducting such audits is difficult,” MCD officials said.Experts raised doubts over the completion of the physical safety survey in a week, let alone three days. Aditya Sharma, a structural engineer empanelled with MCD, said, “Conducting a comprehensive survey or visiting all PGs is impossible in three days. Also, unless a thorough inspection or audit is conducted to check the actual condition of such public buildings, incidents like building collapses cannot be averted. In the case of Satya Niketan, the building could have fallen due to structural inadequacy, seepage or sudden alterations to the existing structure. Unless these factors are checked, there is no point in conducting a building survey.”Before every monsoon, the corporation conducts a survey of dangerous buildings, but identifies barely 40 to 50 dangerous ones, Sharma said, adding, “The survey barely helps in minimising building collapses during monsoon. Hope this exercise doesn’t turn that way.”An MCD official said covering the PGs in a short span of time won’t be difficult since most of them are located in select areas close to colleges and universities in Delhi.“The PGs are mostly concentrated in Munirka, Katwaria Sarai, Mukherjee Nagar and other areas close to Delhi University colleges. Also, Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1975 gives MCD staff the power to inspect, repair or demolish structures considered dangerous or ruinous,” the official said.Unlike some other municipal laws, this Act does not specifically mandate routine structural audits of all ageing private buildings, another official said.“Therefore, MCD and the Delhi govt are reportedly working on a stricter policy for periodic structural audits and safety certifications, particularly for older buildings used for public activities,” the official said.In Dec 2023, in response to a PIL, the high court had directed Delhi govt to conduct a comprehensive structural audit of public buildings.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.