Nowadays, in all the cities of the country including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Mumbai, a large population lives in tall buildings. Earlier there was a time when people used to build houses themselves, but nowadays builders build them and people do not know what is the quality of this building. Yes, it is definitely that monitoring is done by the Development Authority and there is a provision to take reports from time to time. But corruption and bribery culture also cannot be ruled out. The way there is hesitation in giving flats, builders say something and give something, it gives rise to many apprehensions.
Tremors are being felt in Delhi-Noida
It has become common to feel earthquake tremors in Delhi-NCR. There was an earthquake in the last month. There have been several earthquakes in two years. Whenever the earth trembles, the hearts of people living in tall buildings also start beating fast. There is news from time to time that there is a danger of a big earthquake in Delhi. The people of Delhi-Noida get scared due to the tremors of earthquakes in Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The question is the same, what will happen if there is such a strong fire here? Actually, according to the location of Delhi, it is feared that an earthquake of magnitude 7 may occur here in the future. The Ministry of Geology reports that if an earthquake of more than 6 magnitudes occurs in the capital, there can be huge damage.
How safe are Delhi’s buildings?
It is a matter of concern that half of the buildings in Delhi are not in a position to withstand the strong shock. Older buildings suffer more damage. You will remember that in 2015 there was an earthquake of magnitude 8 in Nepal. If Delhi is divided into three zones, then DU’s North Campus, Geeta Colony, Wazirabad, Sarita Vihar, Karol Bagh, Bawana, Rohini, Rithala, Janakpuri come in the most dangerous areas. In 2019, on the orders of the Delhi High Court, an action plan was made to check the strength of buildings to avoid earthquakes. Although this work is still incomplete.
According to the report three months back, agencies that were entrusted with the task of safety audit of high-rise buildings had identified only 4600 buildings and the safety audit of only 750 buildings had been completed. While there are more than 30 lakh buildings in Delhi-NCR. AK Jain, a senior DDA official, says that the MCD inspects risky buildings every year. Only 10-12 lakh buildings can be surveyed. They claim that out of about 40 lakh buildings in Delhi, 80 percent of the buildings cannot withstand the strong shock of the earthquake. (The picture is of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkey)
Flood of skyscrapers in 30 years!
In terms of earthquakes, the capital falls in Seismic Zone-4 i.e. it is a very sensitive area. Just understand that there should be a structure audit of every building. Experts say that a large number of skyscrapers have been built in the last 30 years. The thing to note is that in general, 30 year old buildings cannot be called safe. Further safety depends on the maintenance and quality of materials used in the building. Illegally settled colonies and decades old buildings can collapse even in a short span of time.
Few people know this rule
- Whether the building is 30 storey or 3 storey, it is necessary to check the material used in it. There should be no compromise with the strength of the bars.
- The structure becomes weak even if there is water around the building.
- The use of bad sand-cement and subsequent lack of maintenance also weakens the building.
Just understand that the people of Delhi-NCR are in the high risk zone. Nothing can be said if an earthquake of magnitude close to 8 occurs. (The picture is from Northern Syria)