Following two cave-ins in Connaught Place in a span of 10 days, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is in the process of inspecting the structural safety of the buildings in the heritage commercial centre, to be followed by a similar study of Khan Market.
NDMC officials said that the inspection of Connaught Place structures was nearly complete as of Friday evening, with about 900 units being asked to submit structural safety certificates.
A senior official who was involved with the study said that visual inspections were carried out.
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Signs of distress
The buildings were divided into different categories, including those that had visible signs of distress and those that were “cosmetically fine”, said the official.
Based on this, the NDMC will take action in order to strengthen the structures. The report will be compiled over the weekend, said the official.
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Connaught Place, which was opened in 1933, saw two incidents of portions of buildings collapsing on February 2 and February 11, leading to concerns over the safety of the iconic buildings. While all of Connaught Place, which has about 3,000 commercial units, is being inspected, inquiries into the two incidents are also underway.
Khan Market
The NDMC will also inspect Khan Market, which opened in 1950. While the popular shopping hub is not a heritage structure, it too has seen expansions and a change in use. The residential flats on the first floor, have been converted into shops and restaurants. Currently, there are 44 restaurants on the first floor of Khan Market, adding to the pressure on the structure.
From next week, the NDMC will be asking owners and occupiers of Khan Market units to submit structural safety certificates, said two senior officials. If the buildings in Connaught Place and Khan Market are found unsound, the civic body could take action against the owners, including sealing the premises.