While roof collapse in Connaught Place (CP) poses risk to visitors, several questions have been raised on the highly expensive renovation of CP shops carried out by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The pathetic building conditions in CP have raised safety concern among regular visitors who are asking the council where the money has been spent.
When asked about the issue, an NDMC official told The Pioneer that during the Commonwealth Games, only public corridors were painted. “Under the redevelopment project, the CP corridors were renovated. However, the council never analysed the condition of shops.”
He said as CP shops are private properties, the council never showed any interest in checking the strength of the structures, even though the buildings are tagged as heritage structure. Notably, around Rs 400 crore had been spent in the redevelopment plan by the council to strengthen the British-era structure.
Piyush Jain, Advocate and activist, who lodged a complaint with the NDMC, said, “It is astonishing to know that so much of money was spent but nobody knows where it was spent. The council must answer this.”
However, the NDMC conducted the inspection of 900 units of Connaught Place on Thursday. “We are conducting a safety audit as roof collapses have raised questions over the structural stability.
Notices will be issued to shop owners to either modify the structures as per the safety norms or face action,” a senior NDMC official said.
NDMC had formed a six-member panel, comprising structural safety experts from IIT Delhi, Central Public Works Department, NDMC and the Sub Divisional Magistrate of the area to inspect the collapse sites and ascertain the reason behind the tragedy.
The civic body had last week sealed 21 rooftop restaurants and bars for flouting norms. According to NDMC officials, terraces or balconies in heritage buildings cannot be used for any kind of commercial activity.