NEW DELHI: Residents of Wazir Nagar in Kotla Mubarakpur live in constant fear of fire hazards. Each day begins with the noise of wooden ply being loaded and unloaded as local shops commence work, leaving residents disturbed and concerned for their safety.
Anxiety stems from the 37 plywood shops in Gali No. 7 of the locality that operate from the ground floors and basements with no fire NOC acquired. Last year, one of the residents from the area filed an RTI regarding the issue, which pointed out that no fire safety certificate has been issued to the shops in the area.
As summer is set to peak, this becomes a matter of huge concern for the families in the locality, as the basements of most of the buildings in that area are stuffed with plywood, logs, timber, paints, varnish, thinner, etc. “Families reside in the floors above, and many of them have PNG connections; the risk of fire hazards is endless,” says Sharda Devi, a resident of the area.
However, this is not the first time that the people have raised their voices regarding the scenario. It’s been a year since the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of that area filed a plea at the Delhi High Court.
The court’s order also mentions that storing highly flammable and hazardous materials in the basements for commercial purposes is allegedly a violation of the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD) 2021 and the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act as well as the DDA Act.
After the court took notice of the matter, the MCD filed a status report in August 2025 following a survey of the area and directed the properties to stop misuse within 48 hours and turn them to permitted use, without which the properties will be sealed. However, there has been no change.
The petitioners filed for another hearing at the court in January 2026, where they directed the MCD to file a fresh action report before the next hearing in February 2026.
However, no action report was filed, and the Court, in the last hearing on February 26, disposed of the case and directed the Corporation “to pass a speaking order in an expeditious manner not later than six weeks from the day of the order.”
It has now been nearly 2 months since the court order, but till now no speaking order has come from MCD,” says Jaichand, president of the RWA.
As he walks across the lanes of Gali No. 7, he shows the conditions of the area and how all the basement and parking spots were filled with hazardous items. He shared that in the past there have been some minor fire incidents.
Many residents have also moved out of the locality due to this recurrent problem. One of them, Raj Mishra, an IT professional, reveals how the sounds of the loading and unloading start from 4 am. “I have two young children, one of them a newborn, and it gets difficult for them amidst these noises,” he said.
Calls made to the MCD Central Zone’s deputy commissioner regarding this matter remained unanswered. Till the corporation takes any proper action, the fate of these residents will continue to hang on a loose thread.