NEW DELHI: Residents of Signature View Apartment, located in Mukherjee Nagar, have urged DDA to demolish the building as their flats were declared unfit for residential purposes due to their poor condition and provide them with rent to relocate to other parts of the city until new flats are allotted to them.
The local RWA said that the DDA constructed the apartments comprising 336 flats during 2007-09 and the first allotment was made in 2012. The RWA members claimed that in 2013, the ceiling of one of the flat’s bedrooms in I-Block came crashing down.
The RWA asked the DDA to look into the matter and subsequently, tests were carried out by the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM). The results highlighted various problems in the structure like chloride content, the RWA said. It was advised by NCCBM to carry out the repair work as soon as possible.
The RWA claimed that instead of repairing the structure, the DDA hid the findings and sold another 120 flats on the campus. Talking to this correspondent, Rajan Malik, one of the aggrieved residents, said that when he bought the flat, it was in poor condition and he had to spend over Rs 10 lakh for its renovation. Gaurav Pandey, the RWA secretary, said, “Buildings are in an extremely critical stage.
They may fall anytime, leading to loss of life. DDA should pay rent to the residents and let them evacuate from these dangerous buildings.” Nine residents have gone to court regarding the issue. OP Rai, one of the petitioners, said DDA is grabbing their portion of FAR to which they are entitled to and making 168 new flats and various shops. They have demanded rent according to Central Public Works Department norms and construction under the supervision of the Indian Institute of Technolohy-Delhi.
President of Signature View apartment RWA, Amrendra Kumar Rakesh, spoke to Zaid Nayeemi at length about the issue of sub-standard construction of flats by the Delhi Development Authority which had compromised the safety of residents. He said that senior citizens were traumatised by the prospect of being forced to relocate to a new place. Further, school-going children will be put to severe inconvenience, he
added. Edited excerpts:
Please tell us more about the issue on which residents are agitated.
The flats that were allotted to the residents of the Signature View apartment by the DDA were not in good condition. There have been instances of ceilings crashing down and even our cars getting damaged. When tests were conducted on the structure, it was found that it was not suitable for residential purposes.
What was the outcome of your meetings with DDA?
The DDA has made a clause that they will pay the rent amount only if all the 336 flats are vacated. However, it should be noted that the flats were sold individually by the DDA. It is not a cooperative housing society that DDA is demanding to vacate all the flats at once.
What are the demands of RWA and residents?
All the occupants of D and E blocks are ready to vacate their flats, since they are the most unsafe. DDA must rent to live elsewhere. They are fulfilling the 100% vacancy clause of DDA. Secondly, the residents of all the other blocks should be evacuated on an urgent basis, so that any tragic incident is avoided.
What issues are residents facing due to this situation?
Senior citizens are facing mental trauma at the prospect of being forced to relocate to a new place. Also, school-going children will be put to severe inconvenience.