Experts to conduct safety audit of buildings at Shimla's Kachi Ghati

Pratibha Chauhan

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Shimla, January 19

A team of technical experts will undertake safety audit of 12 buildings adjacent to the eight-storey building that collapsed in the Kachi Ghati area in September last year. It will also supervise measures to save three buildings.

The audit to be undertaken among others by technical experts from IIT-Roorkee and National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamirpur, will examine the safety and structural stability of the 12 buildings. The exercise is part of recommendations made by a three-member fact-finding committee formed to look into the reasons for the building collapse. Kachi Ghati is a fragile area. Despite that, several multi-storey buildings were allowed to come up there.

IIT-Roorkee roped in

• Move comes after building collapse at Kachi Ghati
• A fragile area, several multi-storey buildings allowed
• Team to conduct soil testing

Ashish Kohli, Commissioner, Shimla Municipal Corporation, said, “The team of experts will examine approved maps of the buildings and undertake soil testing to ensure that these 12 buildings are safe.” He said the protection measures to save three damaged buildings next to the one that collapsed would also be supervised by experts.

The fact-finding committee had recommended the setting up of a team comprising technical experts from the geological wing of the Industries Department, PWD and architect planner of the SMC to supervise the protection measures.