DDA repairs common area of Signature View Apartment after concrete block falls

New Delhi

Following multiple reports of concrete blocks and parts of parapet coming undone in common areas of Signature View Apartment in Mukherjee Nagar, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) started basic repairs and completed it in two days, residents of the society said on Friday.

An IIT study found the society to be structurally unsafe, and the lieutenant governor (LG) asked DDA to immediately vacate, dismantle and rebuild the towers in January 2023. However, the work has not started due to an ongoing court case. Residents said that while minor incidents are reported every few days, two such major incidents were reported in the past week.

“Concrete blocks falling off from walls and roof is now a common occurrence. However, probably due to the monsoon, two such incidents took place in the last week where large blocks of concrete fell from the roof in the common area that was so heavy, it also damaged the ground. It was recorded in the society’s cameras, and we reported it to DDA. It could have been fatal if anyone was standing in that corner,” Amrendra Jha, a resident of Signature View Apartment, said.

Residents said that DDA only worked on removing the hanging parts of the concrete blocks in the common area, but did not initiate any other repair or undertake maintenance of any flat.

“In response to the falling concrete lumps from higher floors, DDA is now cutting off and removing the loose portion of the building’s exterior. However, inside the homes and inside stairs or lift machine rooms, the situation remains the same. We are living in fear as we don’t know which part of the building will fall off next,” Gaurav Pandey, secretary of Signature View Apartment residents’ welfare association, said.

DDA officials said that they cannot undertake any work inside the society as the matter regarding its demolition is sub judice. With an order expected soon, maintenance work can be misconstrued as the DDA’s move towards demolition, which has been contested by some residents in court, an official, requesting anonymity, said.

An official spokesperson for DDA said: “DDA is very concerned for the safety of the residents of Signature View Apartment. It had received requests regarding some repair work, and it was addressed and completed on priority basis.”

After the demolition was finalised and the terms of evacuation were agreed upon by DDA and the society’s RWA in mid-2023, DDA set November 30 as the deadline for residents to vacate and also appointed a demolition consultant. However, a group of nine residents approached Delhi high court, claiming that the rent offered by DDA was too low for the area and it should also be reviewed if the buildings can be repaired instead of being demolished.

The case has been going on for almost eight months, with the next hearing set for July 26.