Leaning building of Delhi’s Munirka razed in 72-hour long exercise

According to SDMC officials engaged in the operation, the demolition exercise was “peculiar” and “difficult” as the building was situated on hilly terrain, amid a cluster of houses in the village, which is largely an unauthorised colony.

It took the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) approximately 72 hours, 75 people, and a 100 feet-high crane from Greater Noida to pull down a six-storey building that had tilted and become a hazard in Munirka Village near Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Municipal Corporation Delhi (MCD) workers bring down a tilted residential building after multiple days of efforts, at Munirka, in New Delhi. (Photo: Sanjeev Verma/ Hindustan Times)

The rickety building, around 15-years -old , which had developed cracks and tilted, creating a gap of more than eight inches, was demolished by the south civic body around 12.30pm on Sunday. Two neighbouring buildings were also affected in the process, as portions of the demolished building fell onto these properties. The police had cordoned off a portion of the adjoining Baba Gang Nath Marg for the public.

According to SDMC officials engaged in the operation, the demolition exercise was “peculiar” and “difficult” as the building was situated on hilly terrain, amid a cluster of houses in the village, which is largely an unauthorised colony.

Work around the removal of the rubble will continue for two or three days, owing to large beams and columns among the rubble. As operations begun on late on Thursday night, the south corporation had engaged two earthmovers and a 40-foot crane in the demolition exercise, but failed to pull down the tilted building. They later decided to engage heavy machinery in the process.

Officials said that though the building was six-storeys high, since it was located on a hillock, its height from road level was equivalent to an eight-storey building.

A senior SDMC official, part of the demolition exercise, said heavy machinery was engaged in the exercise to ensure minimal damage to neighbouring buildings.

“The demolition exercise was started on Friday after the evacuation process was completed. Three Poclain hydraulics, two JCBs, one large crane 100-feet high, along with pneumatic hammer, gas cutters, iron ropes and other equipment was exclusively engaged for the purpose. The operation saw the active participation of a team of around 75 people, including 15 engineers from the building department of the corporation’s south zone. We have also kept a team of 40 labourers on standby,” the official said.

He added that access to the site was through narrow lanes, and there was also an apprehension of damage to adjoining properties.

The official said the operation lasted for approximately 72 hours. The officials said that since the site was in a populated area, the risks associated with the demolition were high, and it had to be demolished “bit by bit”.

“The building was tied with iron ropes from Baba Gang Nath Marg so that it did not fall inside the cluttered colony. We had to break the hillock on which the building was situated and cut columns from the rear end to pull down the structure. We also had to break an iron staircase and door on a neighbouring building so that machinery could reach the site,” the official added.

Teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), police, along with medical personnel and ambulances were at the spot throughout the operation.

Residents of the building and other neighbouring properties that had been evacuated, complained of official neglect. They were concerned about their belongings trapped inside the rubble and in the neighbouring buildings affected by the demolition.

Around 200 residents were evacuated on Thursday itself.

Rohtas Kumar, who sells kachoris in Munirka market, and a resident of Badaun in Uttar Pradesh said his money, jewellery, important documents and other goods are trapped inside the demolished building and there was no word from the authorities about their recovery.

“Our ATM cards, money, clothes and documents all are lying inside the building. No one is helping us, whether it is the MLA, councillor or civic authorities. We want the government to compensate us,” said Sangeeta Devi, another resident of the building.

Residents of the area also briefly came to blows with civic body staff engaged in the demolition. The south corporation officials alleged that a group of residents, some of them were women, pelted stones at civic body staff, as they were not letting them enter the building because of potential risks.