Illegal basements: Sealing notices issued to 105 CP property owners
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Following the directives, we issued notices to 105 properties in Connaught Place with a week’s deadline to submit their explanations. After the traders will submit their replies, we will take suitable action.
DP SINGH, director enforcement and building department, NDMC
nNEWDELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has issued sealing notices to owners of 105 properties in Connaught Place for “illegally constructing basements” or “sunken floors” and alleged violation of building norms.
The notices were issued on Saturday and Monday by the civic body on the directions of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee. The trader community is planning to seek more time to submit their replies and demanded an amnesty scheme to “regularise the construction”.
According to NDMC officials, after surveying its recent report on properties in Connaught Place, the committee found many that property owners had created ground floors below the surface level to create space for a middle or mezzanine floor to run commercial activities, which is in “contravention of the lease deed and MPD 2021”.
A member of the committee, who wished not to be named, said when Connaught Place was constructed in 1930s, there was no provision of basement. “But we have found that in many cases, building owners over the years illegally constructed basements in connivance with NDMC officials,” the member said.
On February 20, a meeting was conducted to resume sealing of illegal properties or properties where building laws were being flouted, he said. “After the meeting, directions were issued to NDMC to send notices to such owners and take action. The civic body has to submit an action-taken-report in a month,” the member said.
DP Singh, director enforcement and building department, NDMC, said, “Following the directives, we issued notices to 105 properties in Connaught Place with a week’s deadline to submit replies. We now waiting for the traders’ responses and their explanations. We will take suitable action after we get their replies.”
A senior NDMC official said many property owners had “sunk their ground floors” by 3-4 inches to 5 feet to create intermediate or mezzanine floors for commercial purposes.
“Creation of mezzanine floor is allowed but it should restrict to the normal use such as storage of items. Commercial use of such floors is in violation of building norms. The only way out for such cases is that the property owners will have to undo the modifications they made in the building,” the official said.
In cases where ground floors were sunk by 3 to 6 inches, rectification is easy. He, however, said it would be difficult for those who sunk the ground floor by around 4-5 feet. “In such cases, sealing might take place if the corrections are not made,” he said.
Atul Bhargava, president of New Delhi Traders Association, said they would seek an extension from the civic body to submit replies. He said no fresh construction had taken in Connaught Place in the last five to 10 years and only “minor adjustments” were made.
“We have met the NDMC chairperson and apprised him about our concerns. We will seek more time from the civic body to reply and ponder over the possible way out. There is a solution to everything and sealing is not the option. We want NDMC to bring out an amnesty scheme to regularise these constructions after charging compounding fee, which was done in some cases earlier,” Bhargava said.