Ensure 30-year structural maintenance: Delhi society residents to DDA after explosion causes cracks in basement

The DDA had earlier said that it responded immediately to the incident, which may have happened due to a combination of increased groundwater pressure and accumulated gases

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: October 11, 2025 10:40 AM IST

3 min read

Cracks on the basement floor

Days after a blast-like incident led to flooding and cracks on the floor in the basement at a housing society in West Delhi’s Dwarka, the residents on Friday asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that the structural maintenance liability be increased from 10 to 30 years. The DDA, which constructed Triveni Heights — an MIG (middle income group) complex in Dwarka’s Sector 16 B — handed over the flats to the residents just three years ago.

Following the incident on Sunday, said residents, the basement, which is used as a parking lot, witnessed extensive waterlogging and cracks emerged on the floor and several pillars. Two cars were also damaged.

The DDA had earlier said that it responded immediately to the incident, which may have happened due to a combination of increased groundwater pressure and accumulated gases.

The RWA has now demanded that the structural liability be increased “as major structural failures have emerged within just two to three years of possession”of the flats. The residents’ body urged the DDA to conduct a third-party structural audit by reputed agencies such as the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), IIT Delhi, or IIT Roorkee within three weeks and bear the cost of the audit. Structural liability is the legal responsibility for the structural integrity and safety of a building, which falls on developers, builders

“Despite lodging a demand with DDA officials for a comprehensive audit by independent institutions more than 48 hours ago, the authority has failed to finalise an agency,” the RWA said on Friday.

Amid safety concerns, a DDA spokesperson, referring to the incident, had earlier said, “The building is structurally safe and has been assessed for stability. There is no threat to the safety of the residents and the situation is under control.”

The spokesperson added that DDA has consulted with top-tier structural and geo-technical experts to carry out a thorough assessment and provide both urgent remedial measures and a comprehensive long-term solution to address the underlying issue and prevent any recurrence.

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Over the past two years, the RWA has claimed, residents have repeatedly complained about structural issues, including water seepage, corrosion in pillars, and cracks in staircases. But they claim to have only received superficial patchwork repairs.

“A review of historical site imagery confirms the existence of a water body on the land. The current damage has raised serious concerns about potential geological and hydrological oversights during its planning and construction,” the RWA said as residents pointed out that the area was just 800 metres away from the Sahibi river’s floodplain and adjacent to a major drain.

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