Rain damage: 292 buildings violating GDA rules sealed

In the backdrop of collapse of buildings due to heavy down pour in the city, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has detected 292 building violating GDA rules and have sealed them, imposing heavy penalty.

After the damage caused by the downpour and danger to public safety due to cave-ins, Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) Vice Chairperson and District Magistrate Ritu Maheshwari had on Friday ordered a survey in the entire notified area in the district.

Following the detection of illegalities, she ordered the booking of five realtors on the charge of taking up digging of basements and leaving the work incomplete, leading to landslides and cave-in of roads and threats to multi-storeyed buildings in the vicinity.

Maheshwari directed Additional District Magistrate Himanshu Gautam to issue an advisory for the evacuation of old buildings on priority in case of any cracks in the structures owing to heavy rain.

In case of water-logging in low-lying areas, people were advised to inform the flood control room of the Municipal Corporation. The residents' welfare associations of high-rise buildings were advised to inform the district administration in case of water flowing into the basements of their residential societies.