Dwarka police housing building decrepit just 3 years after launch

Amid an abysmally low Delhi Police housing satisfaction level of 20%, it was supposed to be a secure accommodation for its officials.

Tucked away in Ambrahi Village, Dwarka, a nine-storey housing complex had once been envisioned as a modern residential facility for nearly 200 Delhi Police officials and their families. But it was declared structurally unsafe and unfit for habitation even before anyone could move in, at least three senior Delhi Police officers aware of the matter said.

The 9-storey building wears the signs of decay and weathering. (Vipin Kumar/HT photo)

The police housing complex in Sector 19 was approved in 2010 and constructed at a staggering cost of over ₹55 crore by RITES, a government-owned engineering consultancy firm. It was inaugurated virtually by Union home minister Amit Shah on February 16, 2022. Amid an abysmally low Delhi Police housing satisfaction level of 20%, it was supposed to be a secure accommodation for its officials.

At the time, RITES roped in IIT-Delhi to carry out the structural survey. The handover of the complex to the police was then deferred, after IIT-Delhi’s report flagged major structural flaws, including cracks in beams and columns as well as concrete spalling, the officers who asked not to be named said.

Police were informed of the situation earlier this year.

It was not immediately clear why the survey was carried out. HT reached out RITES for a request for comment, but did not receive a response to the queries by the time of going to print.

Decaying and weather-worn, the building now stands as an example of shoddy construction, waste of tax-payer money, administrative failure, and lack of accountability.

Earlier this year, Delhi Police wrote to the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA), seeking permission to demolish and rebuild the structure. In the letter, the police said, the projected cost of doing so would be over ₹100 crore, nearly double the previous construction cost, the officers said.

“If the MHA approves our request, the total expenditure of the housing project is estimated to reach around ₹155 crore — a massive price tag for a police housing complex that has not housed a single police officer since its inauguration more than three and a half years ago,” one officer said.

The decaying structure

On September 9, HT visited the police housing complex to take stock of its condition. Located less than 500 m away from the headquarters of Dwarka district’s deputy commissioner of police, it is flanked by the Best Paradise high-rise residential apartments on the left.

On the right is an open space, where, once, a seven-storey apartment building, designated for judges and judicial staff, once stood. Comprising six towers built in 2016, it was also demolished in December 2024 for being structurally unfit.

A main gate leads to the police complex, which, comprising four blocks, has at least 198 flats from Type II to V categories, meant to house police officials between the ranks of constables and additional deputy commissioners of police (additional DCPs), along with their families.

One ramp from the entrance goes down to the basement parking, inaccessible since the structure was declared unsafe. The complex still has four guards on duty — each works a single shift, says private security guard, Kaptan Singh.

The complex wears the signs of decay and weathering — a walking path that encircles the four blocks is overgrown with greenery and covered in scattered debris, glass shards, iron bars and other construction materials.

Many places on the ground floor are flooded, with rainwater stagnating in pools, while green algae covers its surface as well as shafts where water has seeped in because of broken or missing drain pipes.

Sections of plaster are peeling off, cracks run deep across walls, beams, and balconies, and iron reinforcement bars have rusted in many areas. Several flats are either partially constructed or have been vandalised, possibly by thieves. Electrical junctions are damaged and its gadgets appear to be missing.

However, ceiling fans in a few flats on the first and second floors suggest they had been used. According to the guard, “The flats were earlier used for running offices of the construction company. Now, nobody lives in the flats.”

“Except for the guard room, where a small overhead water tank is installed and a bathroom is constructed, there is no water or electricity supply in the entire complex. I fetch the drinking water in bottles from nearby buildings,” he added.

On the ground floor, makeshift iron scaffoldings have been erected to prevent a potential collapse. At some places the bases of rusted scaffoldings hang in the air.

“The building looks dangerous if you see it from a close distance. It looks more like a ghost complex at night. The building’s decaying condition itself tells the story of the sorry state of affairs. The government should take action against everyone responsible for the building’s deteriorating condition. A lot of taxpayers money was wasted,” said a local tea vendor.