The Chandigarh UT Estate Office has identified 131 buildings across the city as structurally unsafe and has initiated action to compel owners to either undertake repairs or obtain formal structural safety audits, officials said on Wednesday.
Administration response and next steps
Deputy Commissioner-cum-Estate Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav said notices will be issued to the owners of the buildings listed by the Estate Office. According to the official, recipients will be required to carry out the necessary remedial work and submit a report confirming the structural safety of their properties, or alternatively arrange for a certified structural safety audit.
“Notices would be issued to the owners of the unsafe buildings. They would be asked either to undertake necessary repairs or get a structural safety audit conducted,” the deputy commissioner said.
The exercise follows a committee set up by the UT Administration to conduct structural audits of ageing and dilapidated buildings after a three-storey building collapsed in Sector 17 in January of last year. Officials said the audit list was prepared after inspections and technical assessments carried out under that mandate.
Geography of risk
The distribution of the identified buildings shows concentrations in several sectors and industrial areas. Sector 22 has the highest number on the list, with 15 unsafe buildings. The Industrial Area, Phase I, has 13 such structures while Industrial Area, Phase II, has 10.
Other sectors with multiple entries include Sectors 20, 19, 17, 32 and 37. The Estate Office list also includes single buildings in several sectors across the city.
| Sector / Area | Unsafe buildings identified |
|---|---|
| Sector 22 | 15 |
| Industrial Area, Phase I | 13 |
| Industrial Area, Phase II | 10 |
| Sector 20 | 8 |
| Sectors 8, 18, 21 | 7 each |
| Sector 26 | 5 |
| Sectors 24, 27 | 4 each |
| Sectors 15, 23, Manimajra | 3 each |
| Sector 19 | 6 |
| Sectors 11, 37 | 4 and 5 respectively |
| Several other sectors | One each in Sectors 2, 5, 9, 29, 30, 31, 35, 38, 40, 46, 47, 50 and 52 |
Past incidents that prompted the audit drive
The administration’s renewed focus on structural safety follows a deadly sequence of incidents last year and earlier. A three-storey building in Sector 17 had collapsed in January, prompting the constitution of the audit committee. In July, a two-storey building in Industrial Area, Phase II, collapsed during renovation work. Six people were trapped in the debris; four were rescued with injuries and taken to hospital while two later died during treatment, the Estate Office reported.
Officials said that issuing notices is an initial administrative step and that follow-up inspections will verify compliance. Where owners fail to respond or carry out required repairs, the administration may consider further action under relevant municipal or estate regulations, the deputy commissioner indicated.
Implications for residents and owners
- Owners must either repair the flagged structures or obtain a structural safety audit and submit a compliance report to the Estate Office.
- Residents of listed buildings should expect official notices and may be asked to cooperate with inspection teams or auditors.
- Where immediate danger is found, temporary evacuation or sealing orders could be considered to protect public safety.
The Estate Office did not give a timeline for completion of the notice-and-repair process, but officials emphasised the importance of prompt compliance given the recent history of collapses in the city. The audit committee’s list is a part of the administration’s wider attempt to reduce risks posed by ageing buildings in Chandigarh.
