Survey old houses in Delhi, act fast: BJP

New Delhi, June 26

Following the third dangerous building collapse in Old Delhi within a week, the Delhi BJP has demanded the Municipal Commissioner to get a comprehensive survey conducted of the entire Old Delhi area within a week and take requisite action.

“There are thousands of dilapidated houses across Delhi that have become extremely dangerous in terms of maintenance,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor. “The concerning part is that thousands of dangerous houses are either being inhabited or rented out or used for other purposes.”

Between June 17 and June 25, parts of two houses suddenly collapsed in Sitaram Bazar Ward 75. On Wednesday, in the densely packed market area, a large part of a building at 3842 Gali Lohe Wali, Charkhewalan, Ward 79, with three shops on the ground floor and the family of one Prakash Sharma living upstairs, collapsed suddenly.

Kapoor, who has been urging Mayor Shelly Oberoi for the past month to survey and take remedial action on dangerous buildings and their repair, once again informed Municipal Commissioner Ashwani Kumar about the mishap. The Commissioner immediately issued instructions to vacate the building.

“Due to this year’s unprecedented heat, cracks have developed in buildings made of old lime or light cement, and many more buildings may collapse in the upcoming monsoon,” Kapoor explained. He also criticised the closure of the Dangerous Building Department by the Municipal Corporation, transferring its responsibilities to the Maintenance Department, which has led to increased negligence and frequent accidents. “There is a lot of corruption in the concerned Maintenance Department, which stops people from seeking help,” he added. The MCD has finished its annual assessment regarding the safety of houses and buildings of nearly 64 per cent of the houses across its zones.