PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The collapse of a five-storey building in New Delhi’s Satya Niketan area has put the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) on alert, prompting it to step up monitoring of old and structurally vulnerable buildings in the city. The Delhi building collapse on Sunday left at least six people dead and several others injured, raising fresh concerns over the safety of ageing and structurally weak buildings, particularly during the monsoon.
In Dehradun, the MCD has identified 21 buildings as dangerous or vulnerable to collapse. MCD executive engineer Rajit Kotiyal said that notices had been issued to the owners and tenants of all the identified structures. Of the 21 buildings, seven have been completely vacated, while eight remain occupied by owners or tenants. Cases involving the remaining six buildings are pending before courts, he said.
The vulnerable structures are spread across several old and densely populated parts of the city, including Adhat Bazaar, Tilak Road, Canal Road, Moti Bazaar, Gandhi Road, Khurbura, Indranagar, Kanwali Road, Park Road, Kaulagarh Road, Balliwala Chowk, Chakrata Road, Mohabbewala industrial area and Saiyyed Mohalla.
Kotiyal said that some residents continue to occupy buildings despite repeated notices. MCD warned that owners and occupants could be held responsible for any untoward incident arising from continued occupation of unsafe structures.
The MCD has also been monitoring vulnerable areas during the monsoon, particularly locations where temporary and semi-permanent structures are situated near rivers and drains. Areas such as Kathbangla Basti, Sapera Basti, Chunabhatta and Doon Vihar remain vulnerable to flooding and landslides. He said that the civic body is continuing to assess unsafe structures and urging residents living in vulnerable buildings to exercise caution and vacate them where necessary.
