Collapsed community hall in south Delhi awaits repair

The hall’s current condition has become cause of concern for residents as the abandoned site has become a hub for miscreants who consume alcohol and indulge in other unlawful activities.

Despite the facility of a community hall, residents of Nanakpura are forced to organise social events at far flung places. In July 2015, the main building of the community hall, constructed by Central Public Works Department (CPWD), collapsed and the two storey structure turned into a heap of debris.

The community hall’s current condition has become cause of concern as the abandoned site has become a hub for people who consume alcohol and indulge in other unlawful activities. (S Burmaula/ HT Photos)

After the incident, the agency concerned allegedly didn’t take the pain to even remove the debris from the site and this increased the worries of residents. “Our colony has more than 1,000 flats (between type I-V). We have been organising private events and social gatherings in this community hall for the last five decades,” said Praveen Kataria, an RWA member.

Grih Kalyan Kendra (GKK) also functioned out of the community hall where a lot of residents came for various activities. The GKK is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (a) and meant to promote social, economic, cultural and educational activities for the betterment of Central government employees and their families. “Due to lack of maintenance, the structure could not sustain for long and collapsed last year,” said Kataria.

Residents had made several complaints to the area representatives including former as well as present MLA and also approached the CPWD officials. “MLA Promila Tokas also wrote to the government agency, but the agency did reply to her,” said Rajpal, secretary of Resident Welfare Association, CPWD Colony, Nanakpura.

Tokas said she was helpless as the facility doesn’t belong to the Delhi government. “After I got no reply from the agency, I wrote to CMArvind Kejriwal and a letter was forwarded from his office to CPWD officials,” she said. Thereafter, the agency replied that it is running short of funds and the construction work will be taken up next year.

The hall’s current condition has become cause of concern for residents as the abandoned site has become a hub for miscreants who consume alcohol and indulge in other unlawful activities. “Unknown people gather at night as there is no guard deployed to secure the place. Outsiders, too, feel free to dump garbage and construction waste,” said a resident.

Meanwhile, a senior CPWD official informed that the property belongs to the Central government and the funds have to be allocated by the department of personnel and training. “We are just the maintaining agency and funds have to provide by the ministry. There is some correspondence going on this issue but it is difficult to comment on how long it will take to implement the plan,” said the official.