Rapid screening test applications for buildings soar to 76,000
ISTANBUL
While the quake panic sweeps across the country, Istanbul Municipality accelerated the rapid screening tests on buildings and announced that the total number of applications as of Feb. 23 is 76,000.
After Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes rattled the country’s south, eyes have now turned to Istanbul over an expected earthquake.
The rapid screening tests for buildings, which have been carried out by the Istanbul Municipality for the last three years, gained momentum after the quakes struck Kahramanmaraş and Hatay. The method is applied by examining the columns of the buildings.
“For the last three years, we have visited 107,000 buildings and asked for permission to inspect, but 29,000 buildings have given permission so far. As of Feb. 23, we have received a total of 76,000 applications. There has been a great panic after the devastating earthquakes,” said Özlem Tut, head of the Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Development Department.
Tut also noted that this method is not applied to buildings that have 10 floors or above.
Reminding that 318,000 buildings were found to be risky as a result of the inspections, Tut announced that they set the housing benefit at 4,500 Turkish liras in order to accelerate the urban transformation process of these buildings and ensure their evacuation.
Citizens can also apply for building renewal processes through KİPTAŞ, an Istanbul Municipality subsidiary company specified in zoning plans and architectural projects.
