HC pulls up AAP govt over lack of action to make Delhi buildings safe from earthquake

Petitioner and lawyer Arpit Bhargava, who moved a plea on the issue of lack of seismic stability of buildings in Delhi, said the bench observed that the authorities did not appear to have implemented the court's earlier directions in the matter and the action plan made by the AAP government.

The Delhi High Court pulled up the AAP government and municipal bodies on Thursday for non-implementation of action plan for ensuring seismic stability of buildings in the national capital. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said the replies filed by the Delhi government and the municipal bodies, with regard to steps taken or proposed to make the city safe from earthquake, are just "paper tigers". Petitioner and lawyer Arpit Bhargava, who moved a plea on the issue of lack of seismic stability of buildings in Delhi, said the bench observed that the authorities did not appear to have implemented the court's earlier directions in the matter and the action plan made by the AAP government. He said the high court directed the Delhi government and the municipal bodies to file status reports indicating at least 25 buildings in each of their jurisdictions where the action plan has been implemented and listed the matter for hearing on July 8. He said the bench also observed that on paper very good and "nicely worded" guidelines/notification have been drafted, but on ground they do not appear to have been implemented. He said that the high court also observed that good drafting (of guidelines) has nothing to do with implementation. The high court's detailed order is not available yet.

In the wake of several minor earthquakes in and around the national capital since April, the Delhi High Court had on June 9 asked the AAP government and civic authorities as to how well prepared they are if a major tremor hits the city. The high court had asked the Delhi government, the three municipal corporations, cantonment board, DDA and New Delhi Municipal Council to file affidavits explaining steps taken or proposed to be taken to ensure safety of people in the event of a major earthquake.

In its response, the Delhi government has claimed that the municipal bodies have not complied with the action plan or guidelines issued by it. The Delhi government, represented by its additional standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi, has also said that the municipal bodies did not carry out structural safety audits of buildings in their jurisdictions as was directed by it.

It further said that in the wake of the recent tremors in the city, a meeting of various authorities was held and during the meeting the Director of National Centre for Seismology (NCS) had said that minor earthquakes in Delhi-NCR was "not unusual" and that "there was no need to panic" as they do not indicate likelihood of a high magnitude quake. However, it was important to be prepared and take mitigation measures to reduce earthquake risk, the director of NCS had said in the meeting, the Delhi government affidavit stated.

The high court was hearing an application moved by advocates Arpit Bhargava and D K Sharma claiming that the authorities and Delhi government have not done anything despite several directions by the court to develop an action plan. In their application, they have sought directions to the Delhi government and civic bodies to put in place an action plan in a time bound manner.

The application was filed in Bhargava's main petition filed in 2015 claiming that the seismic stability of buildings in Delhi was poor and in case of a major earthquake there could be large number of casualties. The petition is still pending before the high court which from time to time has directed the Delhi government and civic authorities to develop an action plan.

In the application, Bhargava has contended that around 11 earthquakes have struck Delhi since April 12 and according to experts a big one was imminent which is why he has moved the court now for urgent directions. PTI HMP SKV  RKS RKS.