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The Delhi government will soon conduct a safety audit of flats after the collapse of an entire block of flats in northwest Delhi’s Bawana. The houses were built around a decade ago for the economically weaker section.

In the backdrop of the collapse of an entire block of flats in northwest Delhi’s Bawana, the Delhi government will soon conduct a safety audit of the apartments. The houses were built around a decade ago for the economically weaker section.

Four people, including a nine-year-old girl and two women, were killed after the four-storey building collapsed near Bawana Village in outer Delhi. Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) had built 3680 flats between 2007 and 2010 under the Rajiv Ratan Awas Yojana.

A team of DSIIDC engineers investigated the reason behind the collapse. They found that the building was dilapidated as there was no upkeep. The structures had weakened over the years as the water and sanitary pipes, doors, windows, and the iron used in pillars had been stolen.

An official from DSIIDC said that there was an urgent need for a safety audit to find out the kind of reinforcement required to maintain the structure. Presently, no one can stay in these flats, and repair work was needed at the earliest.

Over 38,000 flats for economically weaker sections were built in Bawana, Nangloi, Savda Ghewra, and others. Various agencies constructed these flats under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and Rajiv Ratan Awas Yojana. Of the 38,000 flats, only a few thousand had been allotted, and the rest were lying vacant since their construction.

The Delhi government wants to rehabilitate people living in slum clusters in these flats. At the same time, the Centre intends to rent the flats out under its Affordable Rental Housing Complexes Scheme as these were constructed with its funding.