Connaught Place rooftops a headache for NDMC

NEW DELHI: With two roofs collapsing within 10 days, the

structural safety

of heritage buildings in

Connaught Place

has become a cause for concern. New Delhi Municipal Council (

NDMC

) claims that the collapses occurred due to the increasing load on the rooftops, which had prompted it to ban restaurants from using the area.

On February 2, a portion of C-Block had caved in, while on February 11 the roof of a single-storey building in L-block had collapsed.

NDMC chairman Naresh Kumar said, “After the first collapse, we formed a team to inspect all buildings. The report is yet to come. The collapses are a result of the increasing load on the heritage buildings. The second roof that collapsed was locked from a long time and we had sealed it last week. We have sealed the rooftops and directed all restaurants not to use them.”

“The properties are privately owned, so the council cannot maintain them. We have passed an order to stop all construction works and seal the shops lying vacant. We have also asked the owners to submit structural safety certificates within two weeks. Further action will be taken based on their assessment,” Kumar added.

After the February 2 collapse, the council sealed the rooftops of 21 restaurants and issued notices to 10 others for violating building bylaws. “The building is very old and using the terrace is a violation of norms. The restaurants are going beyond permissible limits to run a profitable business, but that is affecting the structural safety of buildings,” said Kumar.

The council is working on a policy for alteration work in heritage building. At present, owners must seek permission from the heritage committee for alterations and it takes at least 5-6 months to complete the procedure.

“The building bylaws allow water tanks on the rooftop, but the presence of generators needs to be checked. Owners who have taken permission from the pollution board for setting-up generators cannot be moved, but those without the nod will not be spared. Such generators will be removed to ease the load on the terrace. No dining activity will be allowed,” the chairman said.

New Delhi Traders’ Association (NDTA) has called a meeting with all owners on Monday to chalk out a solution to ensure safety of heritage buildings. “We need to ensure that the old buildings are safe as the market attracts a large number of visitors,” said Vinay Behl, NDTA secretary.

The collapses have also deterred visitors from spending time at the market. Kshitij Kathail, a college student and a frequent visitor to Connaught Place, said, “No one is safe here. This is the second incident in 10 days. The authorities should immediately act to ensure that the buildings are safe.”

“I feel sad that heritage buildings are neglected and renovations are not done on time. The fear will always be on my mind while I’m eating at any restaurant,” said Amit Jha, who works at a private firm in Noida.


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.