Signature View must be removed, the Delhi High Court ruled

The MoHUA affidavit, based on a report made by a three-member committee, is consistent with an Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi report.

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court, claiming that the towers of Signature View Apartment in Mukherjee Nagar, a residential complex declared unfit for habitation in November 2022, are irreparable and must be demolished.

The MoHUA affidavit, which is based on a three-member committee report, is consistent with an Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-Delhi) report from November 2022, which was used by lieutenant governor VK Saxena to request that buildings in the complex be vacated and demolished in January 2023.

However, the high court has halted the demolition, and the next hearing in the case is planned for May 23.

Signature View Apartment, which spans 2.16 acres, was launched in 2007, and flat possession began in 2012. The complex consists of 12 buildings with 12 and six stories each, totaling 336 HIG and MIG flats. According to occupants, the buildings began to degrade within the first year of occupancy.

LG Saxena asked DDA to vacate and dismantle the apartment complex in January 2023, and after several rounds of meetings with residents, DDA offered to pay rentals for three years or buy back the flats from the owners, while dismantling and reconstructing the society with some additional EWS flats in accordance with current norms.

As part of the deal, DDA gave the inhabitants till November 30, 2023 to vacate the premises. However, a group of nine residents approached the high court to challenge the timeline, and the court ordered DDA to cease any coercive action against the appellants until the dispute was resolved, as well as MoHUA to submit its observations on the structural strength of the structures.

MoHUA stated in an affidavit submitted in court prior to the last hearing on April 22 that it had formed a three-member committee — Rajib Chowdhury from IIT-Delhi, CPWD chief engineer Nagendra Prasad, and Daljeet Singh from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) — to consult structural experts in accordance with the court's instructions.

After a visual inspection of all 12 blocks, the committee members concluded that IIT Delhi's report and suggestion delivered on November 19, 2022, is satisfactory. It is claimed that no repairs can be carried out in the structure. Buildings are uninhabitable due to the extreme anguish exhibited. The structures are structurally hazardous since corrosion has developed extensively in practically all structural parts, according to the document, a copy of which HT obtained.

It further stated that the committee members conducted a visual assessment of all 12 blocks of Signature View Apartments on April 4 before presenting their findings. The document further stated that the committee's recommendations were reviewed by MoHUA, which concurred with its findings.

HT contacted the ministry, but authorities declined to comment on the developments.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) claimed in court that its conduct in issuing vacation notices to residents of the complex were justified. The civic body maintained that it had no competence in analyzing the structural integrity of the structures and had issued the orders after examining the report supplied by IIT-Delhi to the DDA.

Separately, RWA members raised concerns about the safety of residents.

We have petitioned the court to guarantee that DDA begins issuing rent promptly once people begin moving out, as it will be difficult for them to pay their leases and EMIs. These constructions are undeniably weak. We just want the (demolition) work to begin as soon as feasible while keeping residents' safety in mind, said RWA member Dharmendra Kumar.

Source: Hindustan Times