Each time Delhi is jolted by an earthquake, the importance of retrofitting buildings becomes topical. In 2006, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had proposed “retrofitting” old buildings to make them structurally safe and earthquake-resistant. Under retrofitting, an old building is reinforced using various strategies to bring it on par with the day’s earthquake resistance standards.
Though all buildings constructed before 2002 were required to be retrofitted, the government had then identified five buildings in Delhi — Ludlow Castle School, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi Secretariat, Division Commissioner’s Office Complex and Delhi Police Headquarters. Nine years later, only two of these buildings have been successfully retrofitted — the Ludlow Castle School and the Labour Commissioner’s Office in Divisional Commissioner’s (DC) Office complex.
According to Public Works Department officials, experts from California would came every three months and share their experiences during workshops and training of officials. However, preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) soon take precedence and the Department diverted its resources to more pressing works. “The PWD got busy with the CWG preparations and the retrofitting work was left midway. After the Games got over, the project was forgotten,” said Hari Kumar of GeoHazards International.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority, GeoHazards International, USAID and other partners were trying to augment the PWD’s resources to retrofit the buildings. While the project remained in cold storage even after the CWG, sources said the AAP government is trying to revive it, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal holding meetings with various agencies concerned in this regard. Senior Revenue Department officials said consultants are being appointed for the retrofitting of the other three buildings, initially chosen for the pilot project. “The project is being revived. However, the government has asked officials and stakeholders to renew the plans as the building will have to be vacated during the retrofitting work,” said an official.
According to the ‘Delhi Earthquakes Safety Initiatives for Life Line Buildings’, a report prepared under the MHA, people who use the building raised concerns that there would be disruptions during retrofitting work.
While the government is serious about making the buildings quake-resistant, there are no strong laws and quality control measures for private buildings. “Our engineers check hospitals, schools and flyovers constructed by government but there is no mechanism in place for private buildings,” said a PWD engineer.
After the 2002 Gujarat quake, the Bureau of Indian Standards, which sets Indian Standards on different subjects including civil engineering, made amendments to the BIS 1893 standards to make buildings more resilient. “Unfortunately, these amendments are recommendatory in manner and in Delhi, they have been partly incorporated in the building by-laws,” said Mr. Kumar.
