The floods have caused severe damage to more than 50,000 homes of people belonging to low income groups, officials have said.
“Structural damage to at least 57,000 homes have been reported across the city,” a Chennai Corporation official said.
Officials will start assessing the condition of such buildings to improve safety of the occupants. To prevent building collapses, the Corporation plans to follow a set of guidelines on dilapidated structures. During the previous monsoon, several buildings collapsed, killing pedestrians and motorists on the streets.
As per the guidelines, an assistant engineer has to identify dangerous buildings. The regional deputy commissioner will recommend repair works and issue notice to the owner. The government has not yet made any decision on offering compensation for damaged buildings during the floods, officials said.
The Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board will be conducting a safety audit of its multi-storey apartment complexes, home to several thousand urban poor families in the city. A panel of engineers, drawn primarily from the Board will be making a thorough inspection of all the tenements, especially those that are more than 20 years old, sources in the government agency said. The Tamil Nadu Housing Board too will carry out a similar inspection of its buildings constructed on rental schemes for both government staff and the general public.
The Corporation plans to follow a set of guidelines on dilapidated structures
