New Delhi: Delhi's municipal corporations on Wednesday told the High Court that due to high cost of approved flats and plots of land, weaker sections of society resorted to making their homes in unauthorised colonies without consulting registered architects or structural engineers.
The submission was made by the corporations in their affidavits before a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva which has been hearing a PIL questioning how safe were the structures in the national capital if an earthquake, like that in Nepal, hits Delhi.
The PIL, filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava, also asked what kind of action plan do the corporations have to tackle the threat.
Bhargav, in his petition, also cited instances of houses tilting and walls developing cracks which were reported from Trilokpuri in east Delhi after the recent earthquake in Nepal.
The municipalities also said that existing old buildings, built without proper design, could be strengthened but only after a detailed study of soil strata, foundation and superstructure of each construction, the process of which was very expensive and a job of high-level expertise.
They have advised that owners of old buildings should get the constructions checked by the architects and engineers empanelled with the corporations and strengthen the structures under their guidance.
The court on the last date had rapped the city's municipal corporations for "dereliction of duty" and allowing buildings to come up without complying with regulations saying it may result in death of lakhs of people if an earthquake occurs in Delhi.
The court made the observation after it was told by a civic body that about 80 per cent of the buildings in Delhi have come up without complying with regulations, including those of structural stability.
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