Delhi sits in Seismic Zone IV, the second-highest earthquake-risk category in India. One major earthquake could turn into a catastrophe, given how recklessly buildings are constructed with safety norms and regulations being openly violated.
And yesterday exposed an even bigger failure. Our disaster-response system struggled to rescue people from one collapsed building.
If this is our preparedness for one building collapse, what happens when hundreds come down at once?
Delhi needs an immediate audit of all vulnerable buildings, enforce safety norms without exception and review the city’s disaster-response preparedness. Accountability cannot begin after people are buried under the rubble.