The collapse of a building in Saidulajab that killed six people has exposed Delhi's struggle to ensure structural safety in a city where millions live in buildings without proper audits.
Despite years of court monitoring and repeated warnings, compliance remains limited six years after a six-month deadline was set.
The Delhi High Court has expressed concern over delays in carrying out structural safety audits and retrofitting risky structures, citing the city's vulnerability to strong earthquakes.
Civic agencies have made promises but delivered little, with only 1,155 structural audit reports received out of 4,571 cases.
A senior MCD official said the scale of the challenge is acute in unauthorised colonies and older neighbourhoods, while a petitioner argued that authorities have continued to seek more time without significant progress.
