Interim damage count: 122 homes, 301 vehicles

nNEWDELHI: At least 122 houses, 322 shops and 301 vehicles were gutted or completely damaged during the violence last week, according an interim report prepared by the north-east Delhi district administration. The numbers are likely to go up when the final report is submitted.

The interim report, senior officials said Monday, was prepared on the basis of inputs shared by 18 teams led by sub-divisional magistrates (SDMS) till Sunday morning. Following directions from chief minister Arvind Kejrieal, these teams are conducting a “damage assessment” survey across riot-hit localities in northeast Delhi.

Senior officials at the northeast Delhi district magistrate’s office said the numbers are likely to go up as the SDMS continue with the survey, which had started on Saturday, in more localities. The violence has so far claimed at least 47 lives and injured over 350.

Each SDM is leading a team of 60, comprising both revenue department officials and civil volunteers, who are helping out with the survey and in providing relief measures to the victims, said district magistrate (north-east Delhi) Shashi Kaushal. She, however, refrained from commenting on the findings of the ‘damage assessment’ exercise or how many localities were yet to be covered.

The numbers recorded in the report reflect properties which were surveyed by the SDM teams independently as well as compensation claim applications in which physical verification were completed by those teams, said a senior government official, adding that the final report is likely to be prepared by the end of this week.

An interim report prepared by the Delhi Fire Services last week said that at least 79 houses, 52 shops, five godowns, four mosques, three factories and two schools were burnt between Monday and Thursday morning. It said ovr than 500 vehicles, including the two wheelers, were gutted.

These estimates are likely to go up as well, senior officials said.

SCALE OF VIOLENCE

In the district administration’s interim report, which HT has reviewed, the localities have been categorised into four zones - three under the north-east Delhi revenue district and one under Shahdara

revenue district.

Senior officials explained, the ‘substantial damage’ head in the report refers to property completely gutted or damaged. Other than that, the report recorded 44 cases of “minor” or partial damage to households. Vehicles include two-wheelers and fourwheelers, senior officials said.