NEW DELHI: The Maharana Pratap Inter-State Bus Terminal at Kashmere Gate, the city’s oldest and once its busiest, will undergo a structural audit to determine the stability of the over 40-year-old building. 

Designed by Rajendra Kumar in the Le Corbusier style (sic!) and built in 1976 by Delhi Development Authority, the terminal building has a total area of 44,600 square metres. Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC), which manages the city’s three ISBTs at Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan, will conduct the audit through a specialised agency. 

The structural audit will comprise non-destructive testing, like rebound hammer test, ultrasonic pulse velocity test, cut and pull out test for concrete, rebar scanning test for steel and on-site carbonation test for acidity, chloride content and sulphate content. The process would include analysis of the test results, preparation of a detailed report and recommendations along with stability certification. The estimated cost of conducting the structural audit is Rs 13.8 lakh. 

The Kashmere Gate ISBT, which was built by DDA as an important node in inter-state bus operations, was taken over by Delhi government’s transport department in May 1993, along with all its assets. In 2008, the state government conceived of and approved a renovation and modernisation project, which was taken over by DTIDC from April 1, 2011. The project cost around Rs 75 crore and the renovated ISBT at Kashmere Gate was inaugurated on May 2, 2013. 

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