Under two separate sets of restrictions – Delhi government’s Winter Action Plan and Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) – private construction in the Capital should have been halted in the days leading up to Thursday’s deadly building collapse in Chawri Bazar.
Yet, according to eyewitnesses and locals, construction was underway at the site in full swing.
A preliminary inquiry found that MCD’s maintenance department had issued an advisory to the owner on April 28 citing the deteriorated condition of the building and asking him to undertake strengthening work. The collapse occurred while workers were carrying out de-shuttering work, triggering the failure of the roof and the rest of the structure. In June, MCD inspected the property after receiving a letter from Delhi Police flagging unauthorised construction. However, the suspensions have renewed questions about accountability and whether action against officials responsible for detecting illegal construction goes beyond departmental inquiries and minor penalties.
Several locals told HT that construction workers had been working at a rapid pace at the site. Officials aware of the matter said the work was being hurriedly completed to avoid detection. “The advisory specifically clarified that it should not be construed as permission for reconstruction,” the civic body said. The owner was found undertaking repair work, the civic body said. “The shuttering of the third-floor lintel was hurriedly removed (on Thursday), reportedly in apprehension of restrictions on the ongoing construction activity, following which the third-floor lintel collapsed, triggering the collapse of the entire building,” MCD said. Citing a “prima facie case of severe dereliction of duty”, MCD suspended area junior engineer Aman Dalal and assistant engineer Mohd Naeem pending an inquiry. Further action is being taken to establish the cause of the collapse and fix responsibility, it said.
