With two building collapses in the last 10 days, traders in Connaught Place have asked the authorities for permission to renovate the 84-year-old commercial centre in order to improve structural safety.
Early on February 2, the first floor of a building in C-Block, next to Jain Book Agency, had collapsed. While the NDMC denied ongoing construction at the site, shopkeepers in the area said there had been some activity in the weeks prior to the collapse.
But just as the dust was settling on that incident, the roof of a building in L-Block, adjacent to Unplugged Courtyard, collapsed on the night of February 11. According to NDMC officials, the building housed Odeon Sweets and had been vacant for years. The civic body said there was no ongoing construction work.
Traders in Connaught Place said the two incidents only highlighted the need for repairs and maintenance on the buildings, which were completed in 1933.
‘Tough to get approval’
“We have been asking the NDMC and the Heritage Conservation Committee of the Delhi Urban Arts Commission permission to renovate buildings. But, it is very difficult to get approval,” said Vikram Badhwar, honorary secretary of the New Delhi Traders’ Association.
One of the traders said on condition of anonymity that he had applied for permission for minor repairs to his showroom in July 2016, but was granted approval only in January 2017. In another case, Mr. Badhwar said, a trader at a non-heritage building in the Connaught Place area was denied permission to paint his establishment.
“Despite efforts, permissions were not given. We will ask for a blanket approval to carry out minor renovations,” said Mr. Badhwar.
Civic body denies charges
The NDMC, however, denied the allegation that it had prevented owners from strengthening buildings.
According to information from the Chief Architect’s office, no applications for permission to strengthen buildings had been received. There had been applications for internal or finishing works. In the last two months, 12 were approved by the Heritage Conservation Committee. In six cases, the committee is in the process of approving, while documents were found incomplete in four cases.
