All of Delhi, particularly South-West, has virtually become a death bed due to unscrupulous building contractors and a lazy municipal corporation. And this despite the civic body knowing that Delhi falls in a precarious seismic zone and that illegally constructed buildings are potential live bombs ready to collapse any time, a Delhi court said on Monday
Additional District Judge Vinod Yadav made the critical remarks while deciding a suit initiated by a South-West Delhi resident whose house in Palam Colony had become weak and inhabitable due to illegal and sub-standard construction in the adjoining property to which the MCD had chosen to turn a blind eye.
The ADJ directed the SDMC to inquire about the structural strength of the building in question in four weeks and in case the material used is found to be sub-standard, pass orders of demolition under intimation to the court.
Holding the MCD responsible for not acting in time on the complaint of Hitesh Kumar against illegal construction by his neighbour and his contractor, the court said: “The unscrupulous and unqualified building contractors can cause havoc with the safety and security of citizens and their activities get encouragement from the lackadaisical attitude of MCD.”
Mr Kumar had moved court seeking damages for the cracks, damage to one of the walls of his house and seepage due to construction work carried out by his neighbour in his property in November 2011 without permission from the MCD. In this process, he got constructed a projection in which the contractor had used sub-standard material. The complainant took the issue to the police and the MCD but in vain.
After a few months, the projection fell injuring one woman and an FIR was also registered in this regard. Following this, Mr. Kumar moved court seeking damages and also demolition of the illegal construction.
The court directed the neighbour and the MCD to pay Rs.5 lakh damages to the complainant noting that “Damocles’ sword always remains hanging upon his head and family that his house may collapse anytime if the repairs are not immediately undertaken.”
