NEW DELHI: Power and water supply to Signature View Apartments in Mukherjee Nagar were disconnected on Monday after the court-mandated deadline for vacating the unsafe complex expired, even as around 40 families continued to stay on the premises.
“They have already cut the power and water supply. Some 40 families are still there. We have requested a few more days to vacate so families can celebrate the upcoming festivals in their homes, but it has been rejected,” said Resident Welfare Association (RWA) president Amrendra Singh Rakesh.
On Sunday, several residents had begun leaving the apartments as the deadline drew to a close. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had earlier warned that essential services would be disconnected after October 12 to ensure evacuation of the structurally unsafe complex.
Built between 2007 and 2009 and allotted under a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) housing scheme by 2011–12, the 336-flat complex — comprising high- and middle-income group units — has suffered extensive structural damage over the years.
Cracks in walls, ceilings, and beams led to safety concerns, and an IIT Delhi audit later declared the buildings “structurally unsafe.” In December 2023, the Delhi High Court termed the condition of the complex “life-threatening” and held the DDA responsible for “gross negligence and delinquency” in its construction and upkeep.
It ordered the demolition of the towers and directed authorities to facilitate residents’ relocation. Following the order, the DDA introduced a rent assistance scheme offering Rs 50,000 per month for families from three-bedroom flats and `38,000 for those from two-bedroom units. By August, nearly 200 families had moved out, while over 100 more were expected to leave before the deadline.
The DDA has already floated a tender to finalise an agency for demolishing the complex and transporting debris to an MCD-approved dumping site.