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Prayagraj has recently enforced new regulations making structural safety audits mandatory for all high-rise buildings exceeding 15 meters in height. Prompted by growing safety concerns and previous fire incidents, these structures will now require an initial audit ten years post-construction, followed by reviews every five years. Building owners, developers, or Resident Welfare Associations are responsible for promptly addressing any identified risks. Reconciliation may lead to authorities undertaking necessary repairs at the owners' expense, ensuring enhanced safety standards across the city.
Prayagraj has recently introduced a new directive establishing mandatory structural safety audits for its high-rise buildings. This measure applies to all structures towering over 15 meters and requires them to undergo an initial safety audit a decade after construction, followed by subsequent audits every five years. Advertisement
Over the past two decades, Prayagraj has witnessed a significant surge in the construction of tall buildings. However, previously, most of these structures never underwent any formal safety inspections once their construction was completed. The prior regulatory framework only mandated a one-time No Objection Certificate (NOC) from a structural engineer at the time of initial construction, leaving the ongoing structural integrity and safety of many buildings unchecked and potentially endangering residents.
Numerous buildings in the city, despite possessing discernible structural flaws, had previously managed to secure clearances. Furthermore, fire safety systems in many of these high-rises reportedly became non-functional, serving merely as decorative elements. Disturbingly, even prominent government buildings, such as the Advocate General's Office situated near the High Court and the Indira Bhawan-which houses the development authority itself-have experienced significant fire outbreaks, each prompting investigations into the causes.
Under the newly established safety regulations, any building found to exhibit structural cracks or present other safety risks must be immediately subjected to an audit. The responsibility for initiating and completing this audit falls upon the building owner, developer, or the Residents Welfare Association (RWA). For buildings exceeding 50 meters in height, these critical audits must exclusively be conducted by expert structural engineers who are officially registered with the local authority.
The completed audit reports are required to be submitted directly to the local development authority. Should any risks or deficiencies be identified during these assessments, the responsible parties?be it the owners, developers, or RWAs' will be mandated to rectify them within a stipulated timeframe. Failure to comply with these rectification orders will empower the authorities to carry out the necessary repairs or reconstruction work themselves, with all associated costs subsequently recovered from the respective building owners or their associations.
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