Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Chandigarh Administration has begun taking precautionary measures to address safety concerns involving old and structurally weak buildings across the city. Following a series of recent building-related incidents, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav held a meeting with Estate Office officials on Tuesday and directed them to issue notices to owners of 131 buildings identified as unsafe.
The building owners will be required to submit their response within one month of receiving the notices. The administration has decided to take preventive action rather than wait for an accident involving a deteriorating structure.
Following the notices, owners will have two options. They can undertake the required repair and safety work and submit a compliance report to the Estate Office. Alternatively, they can get a structural safety audit conducted by a qualified expert to assess the building's stability and identify any serious structural deficiencies.
The Estate Office list includes the highest number of unsafe buildings in Sector 22, with 15 structures. This is followed by 13 in Industrial Area Phase I, 10 in Industrial Area Phase II and eight in Sector 20. Six buildings have been identified in Sector 19, while Sectors 17, 32 and 37 have five each.
Sectors 8, 18 and 21 have four unsafe buildings each, while four have also been listed in Sectors 11 and 24. Three buildings each have been identified in Sectors 15 and 28 and three in Manimajra. Sector 16 has two, while several other sectors have one unsafe building each.
The issue gained further attention after a wall collapsed in the basement of Esemio-6 and 7 in Sector 17. Officials visited the site on Tuesday to assess the situation and directed the building owners to get a structural safety audit conducted.
The administration has also instructed that the building should not be operated until repair work around the basement is completed. The safety measures will be determined on the basis of the expert audit report.
After receiving responses and safety reports from the owners of the 131 buildings, the administration will review each case. Buildings where the problems can be addressed through repairs will be required to undergo the necessary improvements. In cases where serious structural concerns are found, further action will be taken based on the expert assessment.
The move is aimed at reducing the risk of accidents caused by deteriorating and structurally unsafe buildings in Chandigarh.
