New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has completed the physical inspection of some 900 units in the Connaught Place area. The extensive inspection was carried out by 15 teams of NDMC as they were directed to assess the safety of the buildings in Connaught Place.
“The inspection report is being compiled by the teams and will be submitted to the Chairman Naresh Kumar for further action”, said an NDMC official.
Earlier on 14 February in the wake of the two roof collapse incidents in Connaught Place, the NDMC top brass decided to carry out and to identify the structural stress, if any and inspect the terrace of each premise, list out utilities like water storage (capacity), generator, and other stacked materials.
The first incident took place on February 2 when a portion of a building in C-block of Connaught Place collapsed. In the second case on February 11, a portion of the roof of a single-storey building in l-block caved in.
The NDMC had also shut down the rooftop sections of 21 open-air restaurants in Connaught Place recently. The move comes soon after part of a building in CP’s C Block collapsed, raising concerns about the safety of buildings at one of Delhi’s favorite shopping destinations and its historical importance.
last year, the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) had written to NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar to cap the number of restaurants on rooftops, citing excess load on heritage structures.
Meanwhile, Traders at Connaught Place said that they are being victimized and their business has already taken a hit.