During every rain in Delhi-NCR, incidents of collapse of houses and damage to flats in high rise societies are reported. This time the rain has also brought the same disaster. The most painful incident has come to light from Rohini Sector-16 of Delhi. Here a house under construction got razed to the ground due to rain. Four laborers have died after being buried under the debris of the house.

In a luxury apartment complex in Sector 37D of Gurugram, a part of the balcony collapsed due to rain. There is currently no news of any injury, the incident took place in Tower E of Imperia Esfera Phase-2 Complex. Residents said they heard a loud noise when a portion of the first floor balcony collapsed.

A major accident took place on Thursday morning amid continuous rain in Vasundhara Sector-13 of Ghaziabad. Here the main road near an under-construction 32-storey multi-storey building suddenly collapsed like a house of cards. During this time a 20 feet crater was formed. The car and scooter present at that place got stuck in the pit. The good thing was that no part of the multi-storey building caved in, otherwise huge damage could have been caused.

Why do houses start collapsing in Delhi NCR every year as soon as it rains?

• Many houses in Delhi-NCR are 30 to 50 years old. It has been facing rain continuously for 30 years. During this time the soil around their foundation becomes loose. Due to this, the capacity to bear the weight of the building reduces significantly. In such a situation, when there is heavy rain. During this time, water accumulates around the foundation of the building for a long time, increasing the pressure on the already weakened structure of the house. This is the reason why there are often reports of collapse of 30 to 40 year old houses during the rainy season.
• Due to unapproved maps, weak construction materials and non-adherence to engineering standards, buildings are unable to withstand the pressure of rain. There are many areas in Delhi where houses have been built without following the standards. Most of its cases are seen in flats of high-rise buildings. Flats are constructed by builders using substandard construction material, due to which balconies often get damaged during the rainy season.
• The problem of Delhi-NCR drainage is also very serious. There are many areas where after one rain, due to poor drainage system, there is waterlogging for days and months. If this waterlogging is in front of a house, then the challenges are even bigger. Due to this, the soil near the foundation of that house gets eroded. Due to this, the foundation of the house becomes weak and the possibility of its collapse increases.
• The land in many areas is not suitable for multi-storey buildings. Yet, with little knowledge or deliberate disregard, multi-storey buildings are constructed. In such a situation, the basic structure of these houses remains weak. The possibility of their collapse increases during the rainy season. In July 2018, a multi-storey building in Shahberi of Greater Noida Extension had collapsed due to these reasons.
• Due to negligence in the maintenance of houses, cracks in the walls not being repaired in time, dampness and leaks not being repaired in time, the strength of the building keeps decreasing. In such a situation, due to heavy rains, these houses become weak and reach the point of collapse. Apart from this, in the absence of regular structural audit, correct information about the condition of the houses is not available. The house cannot be repaired again and great danger knocks.

Why is structural audit of every building in Delhi-NCR necessary?

This clearly means that the incidents of house collapse every monsoon in Delhi-NCR are not just the result of incessant rains. Many reasons work together behind this like buildings weakening over the years, loose foundation, poor drainage, illegal construction and lack of maintenance. Then these weak buildings are unable to bear the rain and collapse.

In such a situation, structure audit of every building in Delhi-NCR is necessary. With this, it will be possible to find out what is the condition of the houses and buildings constructed here. Is it in such a strong condition that it can withstand heavy rains? If they are not in this condition then they can be repaired in time and painful incidents like Rohini Sector-16 can be avoided.