Capital’s building boom has wobbly foundations built on graft, violation of laws
A deep-rooted nexus between the municipal corporations in Delhi and local police is primarily to be blamed for rampant illegal constructions even as the tedious process to get the building plans sanctioned compels one to opt for illegal means. All measures of the municipal corporations to curb illegal construction have failed to bear fruit in the last one decade. The monitoring committee formed by the erstwhile MCD, the panel of structural safety engineers and even the recent orders of the lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to remove illegal constructions have failed to curb the menace even as one after another collapses have claimed dozens of lives.
The situation is too grave in the Old Delhi, which is densely populated with narrow bylanes and bustling with a host of commercial activities. The recent incident of building collapse in Bara Hindu Rao, Sadar Bazar and the latest in Inderlok on Saturday is a testimony to this. Taking a strong view of the same, lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had directed the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) to act against illegal construction and restore the heritage of the Walled City. Officials said the civic body has found rampant unauthorised constructions in areas like Kucha Ghasi Ram, Kucha Mir Ashique, Kaudia Pul and Kinari Bazar of the Walled City.
However, sources in the NDMC said the illegal constructions are rampant essentially because of the hassles involved in getting the building plans sanctioned. “Because of the unnecessary delays by the local body in sanctioning of building plans, people tend to raise illegal constructions. The structural safety aspect is often compromises in the process leading to mishaps,” said a source.
It is pertinent to mention that three persons were killed and 12 others injured when a three-storey under-construction building collapsed in Sadar Bazar area recently. In its pre-monsoon survey for the first four months of the year, the NMC had found 140 buildings in North Delhi as dangerous. A total of 144 buildings were identified as dangerous for the period, with Sadar Paharganj zone alone accounting for 137 such structures, according to the survey report recently released by the NDMC. While one building in Karol Bagh Zone and four in the City Zone were identified as dangerous, two structures were flagged in Rohini Zone where partial demolition has taken place, officials said.