Submit action plan to ensure buildings survive earthquake: Delhi HC

Observing that the majority of buildings in the national capital were "structurally unsafe", the Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the central government to submit an action plan for ensuring that buildings here survive earthquakes.

A division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, observing that Delhi falls in seismic zone IV, a high risk area, expressed displeasure that its earlier directions to ensure safety of structures and prevention of unauthorised constructions have not taken seriously.

The bench asked the ministry of urban development to submit an action plan within three weeks and posted the matter for further hearing on December 2.

It also asked the authorities and civic agencies to hold consultations to come up with a proposal to tackle the issue, while expressing hope that no earthquake jolts Delhi during this time.

The court had earlier said that about 90 percent of buildings in the national capital are not structurally equipped to withstand a seismic zone (SZ) IV earthquake but the central and Delhi government are "not interested" in taking any corrective measures.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava seeking directions to immediately determine seismic stability of buildings in Delhi.