Tag: Delhi-NCR Seismic Zone

‘Gurgaon Sits On A Seismic Faultline; Safety Audit Of High-rises A Must’

‘Gurgaon Sits On A Seismic Faultline; Safety Audit Of High-rises A Must’

By LokMarg

Sanwariya Garg, 75, is a resident of Gurugram is worried about the safety and security of his family after watching the visuals of earthquakes in Turkey-Syria

Seven years ago, I shifted from my hometown Rohtak to a high-rise apartment in a tony sector of Gurgaon. This gated community, named Harmony Society, has all the features of modern living amenities and my family felt it a privilege to move in here. However, ever since I saw the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Sryia, which showed towering housing structures turning into rubble, I am having sleepless nights.

To make the situation worse, I recently saw a news report about a housing society named Chintels Paradiso in Sector 109, where a portion of the roof of an apartment collapsed, and causing two deaths. This society has 530 flats and nearly 420 families have been staying there for the past four years. This project started in 2011 and possession was given in 2017. I wonder what structural flaws caused this accident, as the building was provided with safe occupation certificated by civic authorities just five years back.

When the construction of a building is completed, multiple checks are conducted to evaluate the structural integrity and safety of the building before it is declared safe to occupy. The recommendatory National Building Code has a section on safety of residential buildings, and the Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA) places the onus of structural defects on the developer for a period of five years.

ALSO READ: Learn From Turkey, Carry Out Safety Audits

Such incidents clearly shake your belief in the system. In many cases the problem is inferior quality of materials used, or poor workmanship, poor maintenance which leads to seepage, and swelling of joints that can weaken the structures. And the problem is not limited to private builders. Some time ago, I distinctly remember, DDA (Delhi Development Authority) flats in Dwarka witnessed collapse of several balconies.

However, high-rise buildings carry far greater risk. One faulty component of a multi-storey structure, triggered by an earthquake like event, can bring down an entire tower like a house of cards. Turkey is a living example to this fact. The government must draw its lessons from the tragedy.

As a citizen of Gurgaon, I demand a mandatory and timely structural audit which should be done by expert agencies. Supreme Court and city authorities should ask an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or a Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) to execute such audits. Residents and buyers should not be intimidated if the developer gets aggressive when you ask for a relook at certain parts of the structure. If you pay the money, you have the right to ask for a perfect house.

Delhi being a seismic zone grade 4 city has a high chance of receiving an earthquake. Gurugram is also on seismic fault lines, making it one of the riskiest areas in Delhi-NCR. If these become active, it can cause a quake of 7.5 magnitude.

I would like to request Chief Minister ML Khattar to look into the matter at the earliest and take relevant measures before a tragedy strikes the millennium city. We should all learn a lesson from The Turkey-Syria Quakes and make a move well in time.

Read More:http://13.232.95.176/

As told to Deepti Sharma

NCR Structure Safety Audit

‘Learn From Turkey, Carry Out Safety Audit of Highrise Buildings in NCR’

By LokMarg

Reena Kachroo (39), who lives in a high-rise housing complex of Greater Noida West, says the deadly earthquake in Turkey holds valuable lessons for Indian city planners

Even a casual search on the Internet will tell you that India has been classified into four major seismic zones and parts of Delhi and northern Uttar Pradesh fall in Zone IV, which carries the highest risk of earthquakes. I live in one of the many high-rise residential complexes of Greater Noida West, and after seeing the frightening visuals of recent earthquakes in Turkey, I wonder if these multi-storey apartments can withstand similar seismic shocks.

I have been living in this house for seven years now. There have been multiple complaints about seepage on walls, leakage of pipes, plaster coming off the ceilings, quality of elevators etc. And now I am scared if such buildings can stay safe in the event of a quake.

From this platform, I make an appeal to all concerned citizens to raise their voice for a structural safety survey of all the high-rise housing complexes in Delhi-NCR. I also request Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and urban housing authorities to ensure safety of the large number of residents in the region in the light of the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Kachroo (right) says Govt must intervene immediately to avert a Turkey-like disaster in Delhi-NCR

Many would remember how in July 2018, there was a twin-building collapse in the Shahberi area of Greater Noida, which left nine people dead. A subsequent IIT Delhi audit had then found that 98 percent of buildings in that area were “dangerous”. In its ‘Building Structural Safety Audit’ of 426 buildings located in Shahberi village in 2019, the IIT report recommended that structural survey, analysis, testing and strengthening programmes be followed for the constructions.

ALSO READ: ‘Gr Noida Authority Must Wake To Traffic Terror’

Many buildings across NCR are getting old; rising complaints of seepage and plasters coming off indicate their erosion. Residents need to know the structural safety of the buildings they are living in. The Turkey-Syria tragedy holds valuable lessons for others. There should be immediate intervention from state departments, and residential associations may contribute financially to ensure the audit and subsequent strengthening measures.

There are a number of buildings across NCR that had been abandoned after primary construction. Later construction work was restarted and the buildings were completed without checking the ‘longevity and the damage to the structure’. There is no check on builders abandoning under-construction projects for years together and then restarting it. Such buildings may be at higher risk of a natural disaster.

Ideally, structural safety audits should be held in Govt supervision every 5-10 years to keep a check of thesafety of the flats, overall health and performance of a building and to ensure the safety of the residents against any possible earthquakes. For buildings beyond 30 years, it must be done once every three years.

Utmost care must be taken to ensure the safety of the occupants of the buildings and the survey and testing team. Buildings must be evacuated and sealed where signs of structural distress, including tilting and cracking, are visible. It’s high time that our government learned a lesson from Nepal and Turkey earthquakes before it is too late.

As told to Deepti Sharma