Give action plan on keeping Delhi buildings safe: HC

The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi government to give a detailed action plan outlining the responsibilities of civic agencies to ensure buildings in the capital could withstand earthquakes.

A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Prateek Jalan also asked the government to list out buildings which, according to the government, are at high risk in the event of an earthquake.

The court also stated that in case a proper detailed action plan is not made available to the public, all concerned officials of the Delhi government as well as the highest officials of the MCDs, and other civic bodies will face contempt proceedings without any further orders.

The order comes while hearing a plea filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava seeking to determine the structural safety of the buildings in the city .

On November 27, 2018, the court had directed the Delhi government to file an affidavit which would indicate how and in what manner the action plan, that would make the existing and new structures seismically safe, be notified by the civic agencies in the Building By laws.

Following this, on May 1, the standing counsel of the Delhi government filed a status report informing the court that the action plan has been notified by the Delhi government on April 24, 2019 and is applicable to the areas under the jurisdiction of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), North MCD and East MCD.

He further told the court that a letter has been sent to the vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for making this Action plan as a part of the Unified Building Bye-laws under the DDA Act so that the plan can be adopted and made applicable in the area of jurisdiction of three MCDs.

However, the court found the affidavit unsatisfactory and stated, “The status report by way of an affidavit has been filed, which is vaguer than what it purports to state.”

Rapping the government, the bench said, “The so-called action plan is more like concept paper wherein details with regard to personnel, officials and engineers who can be approached by citizens and residents for securing certificates and for queries, with respect to the structural safety of the units and its residents are not mentioned.”

The court also said that the status report does not identify the high risk zones in the city apart from generally stating that certain public buildings are at risk.

“The lack of any specificity about the engineers and officials of the Delhi government or other local bodies renders the entire effort only a formality for the purpose of the proceedings,” the court noted in its order.

Following this, it directed the Delhi government to indicate a clear timeline for the assessment of individual buildings to be made by the concerned engineers or other technical personnel, after the applications are received.

The matter would be now heard on July 31

First Published: May 13, 2019 06:41 IST