CP building collapse raises concerns

The collapse of a portion of a building in Connaught Place's (CP) inner circle early on Thursday has yet again raised concerns about the crumbling structures in the Capital's Victorian era-styled commercial hub.

The incident took place on the first floor of C-block above the busy Jain Book store. A wall and a roof came down, damaging parts of shops on the ground floor, at 2:10 am. The place had been vacant for a long time as a new restaurant is supposed to come up there.

Requesting anonymity, a shop owner in C-block said, "The owner had sublet the property to a third party to open a new restaurant. The restaurateur had applied for renovation work. Fortunately, the incident took place in the early hours. Otherwise, it would have been a tragedy."

Six fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and other shops in the block were sealed. The Look Salon adjacent to the collapsed wall developed cracks in its wall and windows. Propelled into action by the incident, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) said a survey will be taken up across the area to check the structural stability of old buildings.

"The Chief Architect's department will submit a preliminary report regarding the incident. We will initiate action after going through the report. A detailed survey will be conducted to check the structural stability of buildings in the inner, outer, and middle circles," a senior official said.

Built in the 1930s, the buildings in CP are heritage structures now. Meanwhile, the traders' association said there can be many other such instances in future if the NDMC keeps delaying the shop owners' applications. The civic body is responsible for the Lutyens' Delhi. While the maintenance of buildings is owners' responsibility, the civic body is required to give clearance for any such work.

"At least 8-10 such buildings need renovation, and owners have moved applications months ago. These buildings are in need of urgent repair or portions will start falling apart. The owners have no option but to wait for approvals. We cannot shut business for months as we have to pay the rent," said Atul Bhargava, President of the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA).

He further said the civic body officials keep telling them that for any changes in the building, they have to consult the Heritage Committee for approval. An NDMC official, however, said the council had given a notice to the owner of the property that collapsed. "The maintenance charge of the building lies with the owner. NDMC has nothing to do with it. A clearance is required only if any alteration is to be made," he said.

The shopkeepers also said CP has become a hub for food and nightlife, and many of the newly opened rooftop restaurants house big overhead tanks, generators, and other equipment without structural safety certificates.

"The civic body is issuing fresh licenses to rooftop eateries without enquiring about their fire and structural stability," Bhargava said. He also claimed that the rampant growth in the number of cafes, bars, and restaurants have overburdened the sewage and drainage system in the area.

Last year, the traders' body had written to the NDMC to look into fire and security lapses. "In the absence of a cap on the number of eateries being opened here, the existing infrastructure is crumbling," a shopkeeper said.

Meanwhile, the police said they were trying to locate the owner of the collapsed property and have registered a complaint against unknown persons. Later in the day, fire officials and NDMC's civil engineers reached the spot to take stock of the situation.