The Times of India 09.12.2010
MCD sealing drive sparks protest, road blocked
NEW DELHI: A sealing drive in east Delhi's Lalita Park on Wednesday sparked violence in the locality with some irate owners of buildings allegedly manhandling the councillor and blocking traffic at the busy Vikas Marg on Wednesday.
MCD officials sealed portions of 19 buildings in Lalita Park, which were above the permissible limit of 15 metres, and demolished 19 buildings in east Delhi where illegal construction was detected. The MCD has sprung into action after a building collapse in Lalita Park, which killed 71 people last month. "None of the buildings was sealed in its entirety. Only the fourth or fifth floors of buildings which were above the permissible 15 metres were sealed for which proper notice was earlier given. These 19 properties are among the 26 that were sent notices and are situated between Old Yamuna Bridge and Chilla Border,'' said additional commissioner of police K C Dwivedi.
According to MCD, in some cases basements of properties were also sealed. "Besides sealing action, we also demolished 19 properties in Shahdara (south) zone,'' said an MCD official.
However, the drive was marred by violence in the area with a group of building owners allegedly manhandling MCD councillor Sohan Lal in a parking lot in Lalita Park claiming that he did not help them to avoid sealing. A senior police official said a case of hurt has been registered in connection with the incident.
Another group of locals numbering around 30 meanwhile protested on the busy Vikas Marg blocking traffic for some time, the official said. They left only after the police intervened. The civic agency has asked the owners of 638 buildings in Shahdara south zone to conduct structural safety checking of their houses and apply to the MCD for regularizing them.
The civic body has put a renewed focus on unauthorized structures after a multi-storeyed building with illegal floors collapsed in Lalita Park in Laxmi Nagar on the night of November 15, killing 71 people.
