The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has decided to initiate structural safety audits of high-rise buildings if residents raise concerns about the building’s ability to withstand load-bearing pressure, officials said, as reported by Hindustan Times.
The move follows a directive from the Uttar Pradesh government instructing the Noida, Greater Noida, and YEIDA authorities to carry out safety audits of high-rises if technically warranted. The audits will be triggered when a majority of residents in a project formally request them.
YEIDA will empanel a list of expert institutions to carry out these assessments. Agencies likely to be included are the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), among others.
“We have adopted the Noida Authority’s policy and decided to implement it in our region,” said Shailendra Bhatia, officer on special duty at YEIDA. “If a majority of apartment owners demand a safety audit, we will assign an empanelled agency to conduct it. However, audits will not be carried out based on the request of just one or two individuals.”
If the audit finds structural issues, developers may be directed to undertake retrofitting or other corrective measures, in accordance with the established policy.
This initiative stems from a 2022 directive issued by the state government in response to demands from homeowners, who alleged that some old group housing societies were constructed with substandard materials or lacked structural integrity. In March 2023, the Noida Authority board approved a formal policy allowing for such audits based on majority requests from residents, and the same framework has now been adopted by YEIDA.
According to the policy, residents of buildings older than five years can file complaints regarding structural safety or maintenance with the relevant authority—RERA, the Noida Authority, or YEIDA—depending on their jurisdiction.
“If any such complaint is submitted, we will handle it as per the defined rules,” Bhatia said.
The guidelines clarify roles based on the age and maintenance structure of the building. In older residential towers where maintenance responsibilities have shifted entirely to the Apartment Owners Association (AOA), the AOA will be responsible for initiating and managing the safety audit. In newer developments, where both the builder and AOA are involved in upkeep, responsibilities will be shared as per policy provisions.
The adoption of this policy signals a wider effort to enhance structural safety oversight in high-density housing areas, particularly in the wake of growing concerns about construction quality in the National Capital Region.