‘We fear for our lives’: Residents, workers in complex complain of apathy, neglect

Built before 1922, the complex is located barely 40m away from railway tracks and spans a 5,000-square yard area in Ram Bagh near Azad Market in north Delhi.

“I have been working here since 2005 and whenever any train passes by, one can feel the walls of the building shudder. The building is old and in a precarious state, but people continue to make alterations to the structure. None of the authorities concerned took note of the state of the building and construction,” said Ram Niwas (50), who works at one of the factories in the complex, in which a portion of a building collapsed on Wednesday, killing a police officer, and injuring another.

Sections of the complex are owned by a number of traders. The building also houses offices of real estate agents and godowns.(Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Built before 1922, the complex is located barely 40m away from railway tracks and spans a 5,000-square yard area in Ram Bagh near Azad Market in north Delhi. HT visited the spot on Wednesday, and the building was visibly run down. Most of the walls were cracked, the cement had peeled off the walls, and balconies hung precariously on rusted, exposed metal beams.

In the records of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s records, Azad market comes under the walled city area, which also includes areas such as Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, and other parts of Old Delhi.

A senior official of the north corporation’s building department said, “No fresh construction or addition of floors are allowed in old buildings in the walled city area. In some cases, if there are renovations required, or the building has become so dangerous that a new construction is needed, the property owner has to seek permission from the civic body before starting any such work.”

On Wednesday afternoon, mayor of the north corporation, Jai Prakash inspected the area and ordered a probe. “It is a case of illegal construction. The building is very old, and no permission was sought for constructions here. We are already conducting a survey of dangerous buildings in the north civic body’s area. In the survey we have found that there are 125 old and dangerous buildings in the old city area. The survey is still underway, but I have ordered officials to check if this building features in the list of dangerous buildings,” Jai Prakash, north corporation mayor said.

After a building is found dangerous, the civic body issues notice to the owner to either repair the property or demolish the portion of the building deemed “unsafe”.

Sections of the complex are owned by a number of traders. The building also houses offices of real estate agents and godowns.

According to local traders, the building used to be a biscuit factory as far back as 1922. But it was shifted in 1970, and the property was bought by a local businessman, Shiv Shankar Gupta, who still owns a few portions of the property.

According to people working in the area, the building was dangerous. Gupta said the building portion which collapsed was purchased by a businessman in 2002. He said the businessman was making constructions on the upper floors.

“The building is very old, and some portions have become perilous. Authorities concerned were informed about the poor condition of the building, to no avail. Not even a single official of the civic body ever came here for an inspection, and no notice was served,” Gupta said.

Labourers working at these factories also live in portions of the building complex. “We live in constant fear for our lives. Officials should make efforts to restore such old buildings,” Roshan Sahu, a labourer at a factory in the building, said