Indian Express 19.11.2010
MCD orders survey, then says it has no structural engineers
Express News Service Tags : accident, building collapse, municipal corporation of delhi Posted: Fri Nov 19 2010, 02:50 hrs
New Delhi: With the MCD unable to figure out where to put them up, the residents of 38 houses near Lalita Park, who had been asked to vacate, will get two more days to move out. But the MCD is in a spot as far as the survey is concerned, with officials pointing out that it has no structural engineers to carry out the safety checks.In response to an RTI query, the MCD had declared four months ago that it will form a panel of structural engineers for inspecting buildings, but never got around to doing it. MCD Commissioner KS Mehra said they had started preliminary work but “it got delayed due to the lack of availability of good structural engineers”.
“We are, however, working in the direction and the panel should be ready in some time,” he added, without giving a deadline.
To tide over the current situation, however, the MCD has sought help from the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee to survey properties that are dangerous. “For the 38 buildings we have a team of civil engineers who are very competent,” said MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur.
MCD Standing Committee chairman and BJP leader Yoginder Chandolia, meanwhile, said the families served notices were refusing to vacate their houses. “If they do not vacate by Friday, their houses will be sealed,” he said. After the houses are vacated, the MCD is supposed to check them and file a report within four days, he added. “There will be another survey of the entire area, whose report will come out in 15 days,” he added. But MCD Works Committee chairman Jagdish Mamgain said the survey may not work out well in the absence of structural engineers.“Structural engineers are trained to conduct tests to find out the strength of the buildings. The MCD has no such engineers, so it will be difficult to do the study,” he said.
