Structural audit of buildings made compulsory
: The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) will carry out structural audit of buildings that will come up in future with the help of expert agencies to ensure there is no repeat of the Alaya Apartmentlike incidents, which claimed three lives.
The development authority, in its board meeting on Wednesday, decided to carry out a structural audit of all upcoming multi-storey four-floor buildings or those high-rise buildings that are 15 meters (or above) in height.
Like fire safety certificate of a building is compulsory after every five years, the structural audit will also be made compulsory. Structural consultants will submit report on safety of the building, possible remedial steps (if required), and retrofitting steps.
“The LDA has decided to rope in expert government bodies like RITES and renowned institutes like IIT-Roorkee to carry out structural audit of buildings,” said Indramani Tripathi, vice chairman of the development authority. This is to ensure that there is no repeat of Alaya Apartment-like incidents in future, Tripathi added.
The five-floor multi-storey residential apartment on Wazir Hasan road had collapsed on January 24 this year. The cave-in claimed three lives and injured 14 others.
According to the LDA’s proposal, for the first five years after construction of the high rise, the builder will be responsible for its structural safety and thereafter the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) or board of management of association of apartment owners will be responsible for it.
The development authority will prepare a panel of reputed structural consultants that will comprise of IIT, NIT, central universities, CSIR, reputed research institutes and consulting firms. The builder will have to choose the agency for structural audit from this list.
Even after the builder gets completion certificate from the development authority, if the apartment owners association finds any structural defects, then the development authority could again order structural audit given that 25% of building residents request for it. In case of a negative structural report, repair work will have to be carried out within a month and has to be completed within the next six months.