Indian Express 30.11.2010
Old Delhi: MCD goes slow on list of dangerous buildings
Hamari Jamatia Tags : building collapsed Posted: Tue Nov 30 2010, 05:35 hrs
New Delhi: While the building that collapsed at Lalita Park was never on its list of dangerous buildings, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) seems to have done little for buildings that do figure prominently in it. While the civic body awaits the probe report on the collapsed building, sources point out that though 42 buildings across Old Delhi were declared dangerous in 2008, little has been done in that regard.While five of these structures have been brought down so far, one has been partly demolished. Sources said the Walled City and its surrounding areas are brimming with ‘dangerous’ buildings that are more than a 100 years old and. The MCD is also supposed to conduct a survey of dangerous buildings in these areas every year, but has not done so in the last two years due to staff shortage.
MCD officials claim that at present, the number of dangerous buildings in Old Delhi must have risen to 70. Buildings that are more than 100 years old need to be demolished immediately, they said, adding that most of them are located in areas like Ballimaran, Seeta Ram Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Shah Ganj, Bharat Nagar, Darbia Paan, Chuna Mandi and Paharganj.
On Thursday, MCD Commissioner K S Mehra admitted to the problem. “We have done a survey report and are currently checking the structures,” he said. The MCD has received 9,568 complaints about unauthorised constructions since October 2008; action has been taken on around 5,000, he added.
The City Zone of the civic agency, which covers areas such as Chandni Chowk, Ballimaran and Seeta Ram Bazaar, has the highest number of dangerous buildings. “According to our estimates, there are approximately 200 structures that need to be repaired before the monsoon,” said a senior MCD official. City Zone Ward Committee Chairperson Renuka Gupta said she had requested the MCD several times to issue notices to such buildings, but to no response. Now, along with other councillors, she would pass a resolution, asking for a new survey to be conducted in the area.
