South Delhi hotel fire: 28 deaths in one week, illegal structures under MCD scanner
Officials said that 82 properties have been demolished and 43 sealed as part of the citywide drive since June 1.
A building being bulldozed in Ghitorni. (Express Photo) As part of a drive against illegal and unauthorised structures across Delhi’s 12 zones, which began on June 1, Friday saw at least 26 structures in South Zone being either sealed or demolished, officials said.
The action follows two major incidents in the South Zone in the past week: a building collapse at Saidulajab near Saket Metro station last Saturday that claimed six lives, and a fire at Flourish Stay B&B in Hauz Rani, Malviya Nagar, which killed 22 people.
Officials said that 82 properties have been demolished and 43 sealed as part of the citywide drive since June 1.
Around 150 notices related to unauthorised constructions, sealing and demolitions have been issued to properties, they added.
These 150 include demolition action taken against 12 properties in the South Zone on Friday. Further, 14 properties in the zone were sealed.
While the 26 properties included the sealing and demolition of eight properties in Saidulajab, the MCD has also identified 32 properties in Saidulajab and 9 in Khirki Extension operating in violation of norms, officials said.
Additionally, since June 1, while demolition action has been carried out against seven properties in Civil Lines Zone, eight illegal properties have been demolished in Narela Zone. Officials added that while in Savitri Nagar, Sainik Farm and Khanpur, action was taken against three properties, three basements were sealed for running the library in violation of law in Gautam Nagar.
Another building sealed on MG road. (Express Photo)
The MCD had confirmed the four-storey building that had collapsed at Saidulajab was illegal while the B&B that caught fire in Malviya Nagar lacked several permissions, including NOC from the Fire department.
“The action was taken against properties in Saidulajab near the collapsed building, which were also identified during last week’s survey; structures in Sultanpur opposite the Metro depot; and housing facilities in Hauz Rani. Inspections are also being carried out in Gautam Nagar, where notices and orders are being issued,” an official said.
According to MCD, it has identified over 12 B&Bs and guest houses operating in violation of building bye-laws in Hauz Rani, and has sealed five since June 1. The drive on Friday targeted underground restaurants and kitchens in the area, which were running in buildings having multiple floors.
These guest houses included two more properties owned by Luvkesh Bajaj – the owner of Flourish Stay B&B – along with Venue Inn, Sky inn, Mikasa inn and Crown Moon Inn, among others. The two properties of Bajaj, said a police officer, had 15 to 18 rooms, violating the permitted limit of six, similar to Flourish Stay B&B that was operating 26 rooms.
“Just like in the case of Bajaj, most of these properties receive licenses on the name of managers instead of the owner, to bypass liability. This especially started to happen after the Uphaar Cinema tragedy,” said a police officer involved in the drive.
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