NDMC forms 15 teams of experts to check building collapses
NEW DELHI: With an aim to avoid roof collapse incidents of the heritage buildings of Connaught Place (CP), the New Delhi Municipal Council has announced a series of measures.
The Council, which had constituted an inquiry committee for detailed investigation of roof collapse incidents and had suspended four engineers owing to lack of supervision earlier, has now announced to form as many as 15 teams consisting of technical officers of different departments to take stock of the condition of the buildings in this area.
According to an NDMC official, the team will submit their report on the matter in two days. “These teams will work under the overall supervision of Chief Engineers, Chief Architect, Director and Medical Officer of Health,” said a top official in NDMC.
The Council has stated that the terms of reference will be to carry out visual inspection of the buildings to identify the structural stress if any and inspect the rooftops of each premise, list out utilities like water storage (capacity), generator, other stacked material. “Besides, tentative estimate of load on each premise will be assessed and signs of seepage or other factors leading to building deterioration will be identified,” said the NDMC official.
“In case any building is found in an unstable condition or in any way dangerous to any person occupying, restoring to or passing by such buildings or any other building or place in the neighborhood, further action will be taken as per provisions of the NDMC Act, 1994,” the official said further.
Hours after the roof collapse incident, on Sunday the NDMC had also constituted a six-member panel, comprising structural safety experts from Iit-delhi, CPWD, DMC and the Sub-divisional Magistrate of the area to inspect the site and ascertain the reason behind the collapse. Besides this, the Council had announced to focus on structural safety of heritage buildings. On Monday, it had suspended its four engineers posted in the EnforcementBuilding Regulation Department (EBR) on Monday.
It may be noted that the open-air rooftop wing of a CP restaurant collapsed on Saturday night, fueling fears about the safety of buildings in the national Capital. The latest incident was reported at Cafe Unplugged, located at the L-block in the middle circle of the three-ringed signature market that was teeming with a large Saturday crowd. A section of another building had caved in earlier this month.