DDA orders safety audit of pre-2001 buildings in Delhi

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Thursday directed structural safety audits of all high-rise buildings, including malls, hospitals and educational institutions, that were constructed or sanctioned before March 21, 2001, to be completed within three months.

Even buildings sanctioned before the prescribed date but less than 15 metres high and attracting high footfall, including group housing societies, institutional buildings, hospitals and cinema halls, will also have to undergo the assessment within the stipulated period, the urban body said.

The move comes against the backdrop of the September 6 building collapse in Satya Niketan, which claimed the lives of seven persons, five of whom were students.

The police have arrested six persons, including the owners of the collapsed building, in the case so far.