The Hindu 23.08.2013
Quake-prone buildings must be repaired: Corporation
Owners of dilapidated, earthquake-prone buildings in the city will have to take steps to repair such structures.
Following
a meeting with Anna University on Thursday, the civic body has decided
to issue notices to buildings vulnerable to earthquakes after
implementing a digital mapping project shortly.
The
notice under the provisions of the CCMC Act would eventually ensure the
safety of those living in or near such buildings. Structures likely to
endanger public health or safety will have to be altered.
A
number of Corporation buildings including those in BRN Garden tenements
in Broadway are dilapidated. However, the civic body has been unable to
take precautionary measures during the monsoon to ensure the safety of
residents living in such buildings.
An earlier survey
undertaken by Anna University aerially mapped medium-to-tall buildings
in the city. The city has more than 11 lakh properties including
multi-storied, special and ordinary buildings.
On
Thursday, the civic body accepted data collected by Anna University for
web application to assess seismic vulnerability of buildings in 192 sq.
km. of the Corporation in the first phase. The web application will also
help residents identify safest building during disasters.
The
application will be based on digital mapping undertaken in parts the
city and another survey that has classified a chunk of the buildings as
highly vulnerable during earthquakes.
Digital map
data for the remaining areas in Chennai will be ready soon. Mapping of
utilities, a tool to identify gaps in civic amenities, will also cover
all the 15 zones.
A study by Anna University also
analysed soil types in the city limits and found clay and unconsolidated
sediments were likely to amplify earthquake energy effects in
Purasawalkam, Vepery, Egmore, Vyasarpadi, Siruvallur, Otteri, Kolathur,
Villivakkam, Anna Nagar, Ayanavaram, Koyambedu, Arumbakkam, Kodambakkam,
Taramani, parts of Velachery and parts of T. Nagar.
Chennai was re-designated from Hazard II zone to Hazard III zone (greater vulnerability) in 2001.