Clock ticking for MCD: 1.78 mn homes, 22 days left, zero declared dangerous

That means MCD will now need to inspect 81,000 houses every single day to meet its June 15 deadline to inspect the safety level of buildings during the upcoming monsoon season

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will now have to survey more than 1.78 million houses in just 22 days to identify potentially dangerous buildings. The mandatory survey conducted every pre-monsoon is aimed at identifying the buildings that pose a risk of collapsing during monsoon. However, the MCD has completed inspections of only 36.9 per cent of the targeted structures.

 

A Hindustan Times report says that, as per internal records, only 1,045,814 out of 2.83 million buildings had been inspected till May 23 — leaving a staggering 1.78 million structures still to be surveyed in just 22 days.

 

That means MCD will now need to inspect 81,000 houses every single day to meet its June 15 deadline.

 

 

Not a single building declared as dangerous 

Even more alarmingly, the civic body has not declared a single building as “dangerous” so far this year, raising eyebrows over the efficacy of an exercise meant to prevent tragedies during the rains.

 

“The survey is limited to spotting buildings with large cracks or visibly leaning structures. It does not cover parapets, balconies or hidden damage,” an official told the Hindustan Times. 

 

The pre-monsoon audit, spread across 12 administrative zones and 1,397.3 sq. km of the city, is meant to identify structurally weak buildings and avert monsoon-time collapses. But critics allege it has become more of a routine paperwork exercise than a life-saving intervention.

 

In 2023, only five buildings were flagged as dangerous 

In 2023, only five buildings—located in Kalyanpuri and Pandav Nagar—were flagged as dangerous, but at least nine buildings collapsed after monsoon rains, leading to 12 deaths and multiple injuries.

 

According to the report, this year, 82 buildings have been marked as needing repair — mostly in the Walled City and Rohini zone.

 

“Directions have been issued to the property owners to carry out repairs before the monsoon — 60 in Old Delhi, 21 in Rohini, and one in Najafgarh,” a senior MCD official told Hindustan Times. 

 

Some zones have fared better than others 

Sadar Paharganj has covered 63.7 per cent of its target, and Najafgarh 56.7 per cent. But others lag drastically behind — Karol Bagh and the West zone have each covered only 12.8 per cent, and Civil Lines just 17.1 per cent.

 

According to the media report, structural safety experts say Delhi lacks a modern detection system. “Ideally, building plans and structural integrity reports should be checked, but most development in Delhi has happened in an unplanned manner,” the first official added.

 

A second official highlighted that buildings over 40 years old, especially in the Walled City, should be prioritised. “We need to prioritise structural audits of buildings older than four decades, especially in the Walled City. Making such audits mandatory is essential,” the official said.

 

Non-compliance with court’s order 

The Delhi High Court had earlier directed the MCD to encourage buildings over 20 years old to conduct structural audits, but officials admit compliance has been negligible.