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NDMC carries out safety audit, finds 900 units dangerous

All occupants have been asked to provide structural stability certificates by February 27

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The two recent back-to-back roof collapse incidents in Connaught Place (CP) has jolted New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) officials, prompting the civic agency to carry out its first safety audit of the area.

The NDMC has formulated a report, which has identified over 900 units as "dangerous" and cancelled the licences of 21 restaurants with rooftop dining spaces. The report would be submitted on Thursday to NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar, who will decide what action to be taken.

NDMC officials said that the notices have been issued under Section 258 (1) of the NDMC Act, 1994, "declaring dangerous buildings for public safety." All occupants have been asked to provide structural stability certificates by February 27.

"The 900-1,000 units include shops, restaurants, salons, offices, residences and all disputed properties lying vacant without maintenance for years. They are more vulnerable to crumbling down," said a senior NDMC official.

He added that the file for the cancellation of licences of the 21 sealed rooftop property owners has been sent to the civic body's law department for approval. "We have sent the files to the adviser (law) for his opinion," he said.

The incidents are all the more worrying as CP went through a six-year refurbishment programme between 2007 and 2013 at a cost of Rs 716 crore. Rooftop pubs and dining spaces mushroomed as the place emerged as a nightlife hub after the renovation, but no attention was given to the safety of over 80-year-old structures.

In their investigations, NDMC officials found that terraces were taking the burden of generator sets, furniture, water tanks and other heavy equipment resulting in the crumbing of old buildings. Seepage, cracks in walls, and dilapidated plasters have also weakened the foundation of the buildings.

The NDMC Act does not allow the use of terrace/balconies for commercial activity. However, between 2013 and 2017, the civic body's health department has issued licences to around 45 restobars that came up on the first and second floors of these buildings.

Of these, 35 have been using rooftops as well running as open-air dining spaces serving food and playing loud music.

The front roof and wall of the first floor of a building in C-block, above Jain Book Store, collapsed on February 2, while another roof of a one-storey building housing a popular restobar, The Unplugged Courtyard (UC) in L-block, collapsed on February 11. The first collapse took place on the vacant floor where a new pub was coming up.

An FIR was registered by the police in both cases.

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