News: Delhi cooperative housing societies told to complete structural, fire and lift safety audits within a month-03-10-2026
The Delhi Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCS) has directed all cooperative group housing societies (CGHS) in the capital to audit their buildings and common facilities for safety risks and carry out corrective measures.
A circular issued on October 1 cites Rule 106 of the Delhi Cooperative Societies Rules, 2007, which makes managing committees responsible for repairs, maintenance and regular inspection, and requires societies to keep disaster management and fire prevention plans updated.
The audit must include a structural safety check by qualified engineers or agencies, verification of valid fire safety certificates or NOCs and working firefighting systems, and confirmation of valid lift inspection and safety certificates. Committees must also inspect for structural damage, major cracks, seepage, leakage, damaged roofs or external walls and defective staircases.
Serious deficiencies posing an imminent risk to life or property must be reported at once to the competent authority. Where defects are found, committees must act immediately, and take up matters needing civic intervention with the DDA, MCD and Delhi Fire Service until action is taken. Societies must also keep records of inspections, deficiencies and action taken.
Committees must submit a compliance report to the RCS within three weeks, and the circular also mentions a consolidated report within 30 days.
The directive follows several fatal fires and collapses in the city. A building collapse in Mustafabad in April 2025 killed 11 people. In 2026, six people died in a collapse in Saidulajab in May, a fire at a B&B in Hauz Rani in June killed 23, and a Palam fire in March killed nine, including three children. Most recently, seven people died when a five-storey PG building collapsed in Satya Niketan in September.
