PWD issues order to make essential buildings earthquake resistant

The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued an order to survey and retrofit all essential buildings in the city and make them earthquake resistant, officials on Thursday said.

In the wake of the deadly earthquake in Myanmar which claimed the lives of around 3,000 people, the PWD's order has been issued to all staff to strictly adhere to the National Building Code and other local by-laws.

"Identify critical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, fire stations, police stations and other essential buildings and conduct vulnerability assessments to determine the need for retrofitting or seismic upgrading," the order issued by the PWD says.

Due to its proximity to the Himalayas, the national capital is located in zone IV, which has fairly high seismicity where the general occurrence of earthquakes is of 5-6 magnitude, according to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

"Ensure that all PWD construction projects in Delhi strictly adhere to the National Building Code, local bye-laws etc. Conduct regular inspections to verify compliance and take enforcement action against any deviations," the order says.

Earlier in February, the city witnessed an earthquake. Although there was no report of damage to life and property.

The DDMA, which is headed by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, is the nodal agency to deal with disasters.

The meeting of the authority was held last month during which Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed the city's earthquake preparedness.

The densely populated areas in north east, east and south Delhi were flagged as a major concern in that meeting by the authorities as unauthourized development in these areas puts residents at risk.

The order further says that compliance with building codes should be "non-negotiable policy imperative".

"Submit a way forward report, including compliance with building codes and retrofitting critical infrastructure, by April 30. By taking these steps, the safety and resilience of Delhi's building infrastructure under the domain of PWD and protecting the lives of citizens can be ensured," the order says.