The Indian Express    03.09.2012

Govt buildings’ safety audit reports by Sept-end

The district administration had earlier set the target of completing the audit work to July 15, but it was impossible given the huge number of structures

IT has been two months since the Mantralaya fire broke out, but the structural audit for all the government buildings in the district has still not been completed. This, despite Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar issuing instructions after the fire that the audits be carried out within a month.

However, officials say that the audit for the district and the division was still on and the reports would be released only by September-end.

With nearly 96 such buildings in the district, 25 of them over 40 years old, Pawar had said it was essential to carry out the audit and understand the present structural capacity of these buildings so that precautionary measures can be taken.

While the Public Works Department had been instructed to carry out the structural audits, the Pune Municipal Corporation was to carry out fire audits at government offices and the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) was to carry the electrical audit of these buildings.

The MSEDCL has also been asked to inspect condition of electrical wirings in these buildings.While PMC has completed only 70 per cent work, the sheer number of buildings to be audited had delayed the process.

Of the 207 building listed, survey of 174 has been completed of which they have received reports of 129 buildings, officials said. The district administration had earlier set the target of completing the audit work to July 15, but it was impossible given the enormity of the task. “Work is on in the PCMC and in the rural areas and the reports are likely to come out by September-end,” officials said.

Meanwhile, the district administration had ruled the fire audit should be done by the 13 agencies appointed.

Rules of having a dedicated water tank for such emergencies and area for movement of all vehicles have to be considered under this audit, said officials, adding that only such audits would highlight the need for more fire stations.

Details of space left out for each and every building and even rules on having fire engines stationed if the buildings taller than five metres are being checked under this audit.

With many old buildings, some of which are over 40 years, the reports will give a proper assessment of the building structure, said a district official.

“Structural audits of buildings such as the old council hall, old central building, Yerawada jail, Photo Zinco press, education offices, BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital were being carried out,” said the official.

Under the government’s directive, seven teams had been formed to examine these buildings for parameters under the structural auditing, the official said.

Apart from Pune, the entire division would be preparing the audit for all the buildings for other divisions such as Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur.