New Delhi: A citywide audit of structural safety and fire preparedness of buildings in Delhi is likely to face major hurdles, with Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) flagging a shortage of manpower, structural experts and funds in its preliminary assessment prepared on the directions of the Union home ministry.MCD’s building department has drawn up a draft roadmap outlining the proposed exercise, the estimated number of properties to be inspected and the challenges likely to arise during implementation. “The draft has been sent to the competent authority for approval before being forwarded to the ministry,” an official said.The draft highlights the need for additional manpower, structural experts and substantial funds to undertake the exercise across the city. It also points to the practical difficulties officials may face during inspections and calls for a realistic timeline, taking into account the scale and complexity of the task.“The exercise is not going to be easy… people may not allow officials to enter their houses. The existing workforce is insufficient to undertake such a massive exercise. We may request the ministry to set a deadline depending on the circumstances,” the official said.The MCD report will be submitted by Oct 31 to MHA, which held a meeting with various departments recently against the backdrop of the Satya Niketan collapse and a series of incidents that highlighted the risks posed by unsafe buildings, including the Palam fire that claimed nine lives and collapses in Saidulajab, Seemapuri and Harsh Vihar.Officials said one of the biggest challenges is the sheer number of properties that would need to be covered. Delhi has an estimated 32.5 lakh buildings, while the first phase of Census 2027 recorded about 76 lakh census houses. The two figures represent different units, as a single building may comprise several residential units.The exercise is also expected to be particularly challenging in unauthorised colonies and densely populated areas, where buildings may have been constructed or modified over the years without approved building plans. “Establishing the structural condition of such properties and assessing compliance with applicable safety norms would require additional scrutiny,” the official said.Another constraint is MCD’s existing capacity to conduct structural safety assessments. The civic body does not have a dedicated unit specialising in such audits and currently relies on 249 empanelled third-party structural engineers. A citywide exercise would require additional technical expertise and coordination to assess buildings on such a large scale, said the official.
