NEW DELHI: The residents of Anna Nagar area in Central Delhi, whose houses were washed away after the first heavy monsoon showers in the national capital last month, have filed a police complaint alleging the construction work at World Health Organisation (WHO) building was the main cause of the cave-in among other reasons.
On July 19, twelve houses were washed away displacing 71 people in the Anna Nagar JJ cluster situated near ITO chowk. These houses, built near the banks of a stormwater drain, were swept away after heavy rains caused a road to cave in.
“A 16-storey building for the WHO is being constructed on a 7,000 square metre plot by the NBCC in the area. Our houses were destroyed because of improper excavation and illegal wall/ boundary erected by NBCC,” said the complaint.
“This caused blocking of the adjacent drain due to which the rainwater was obstructed causing flooding of the drain and flooding of the Construction site leading to a sinkhole in the middle of the drain thereby destroying our houses” it added.
According to Sunil Kumar Aledia, a social activist providing legal aid to the displaced people, said that FIR should be registered against the people responsible for the negligence. Rekha Rani, 40, is one of 71 people who who lost her house. “The construction has been going on for while. I have lost my house due the waterlogging.
We were also promised Rs 25,000 financial aid but it also not reached us yet. I do not know what to do next?” she said. Rajiv Singh, Additional District Magistrate of Central Delhi, said financial assistance has already been given to all approved cases. “A few case are pending and will get aid as soon as we get a nod from the head of department. WHO building’s construction is not under our jurisdiction,” he said.