NGO points out construction flaws in Games Village flats (The Hindu 24 April 2012)

Punctures DDA's claim of them being “most desirable place” Non-government organisation Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan has punctured the Delhi Development Authority's marketing blitz inviting bidders for the luxurious housing units in the Commonwealth Games Village by pointing to “deficiencies” in the construction quality. In an open letter, the Abhiyan has cajoled investors and prospective house buyers to consider reports that highlight flaws in the construction of what the DDA calls the “most desirable place” to live in the Capital. Citing paragraphs from the Shunglu Committee Report and another drafted by the Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee (CBRI), the Abhiyan has urged the citizens “to understand and reject DDA's invitation on not just moral grounds but also on sound economic and safety sense”. The Abhiyan has quoted from the report submitted by the Shunglu Committee that was set up by the Prime Minister to check the transgression during the Commonwealth Games-2010. It says: “The flooding of the basements of the newly-constructed residential towers in August-September 2010 following heavy rainfall in Delhi served to highlight the potential danger that could be posed by nature's fury to buildings constructed in this fragile and vulnerable location.” Further, “the oversight and monitoring functions by the committees set up by the DDA were ineffective as several defects and quality issues relating to the construction of the residential zone by the project developer continued to persist”. CAG report The Abhiyan, which has been spearheading a campaign to save the Yamuna and its floodplains, has also quoted the Comptroller and Auditor General's report (Performance audit report on XIX Commonwealth Games -2010): “Emaar MGF awarded most of the construction work to Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Limited. Central Building Research Institute-Roorkee (CBRI) was appointed as the third party independent quality inspection agency only in May 2008, by which time most of the foundation work had been executed. As such the CBRI was unable to assure the quality of the foundation laid. In our opinion, this is a serious lacuna, considering the site location and the height of the structure.” The CAG report goes on to say: “CBRI pointed out (Report No.3) that many columns in the basement floors of Towers 3, 4 and 5 were out of plumb and some of them were tapered. This situation poses a serious problem in the event of an earthquake as the construction site is located in seismic zone IV, that too on alluvial soil…..” Punching holes into the DDA's claims of a housing project where “each flat is a polished gem”, the Abhiyan refers to the CBRI report of July 2009 that concluded thus: “…On seeing the permeability of the concrete and the corrosion of reinforcing steel, it gives an impression that the service life of these towers cannot be more than 20 years.” “Clearly as is brought out above by expert bodies that what the DDA is claiming to be the most desirable place in Delhi is actually the most undesirable and risky place in the city,” said Manoj Misra of the Abhiyan. To buttress the Abhiyan's claims about the unsuitability of the housing units, he said Delhi is as per records Zone 4 on the nation's seismic zone map and the riverbed/floodplain the city, where this structure stands is Zone 5 on account of its unconsolidated soil base extending to almost 150 m below the ground surface. “It is also a fact that seismic activity in and around the city is on an increase. Thus any high-rise structure standing on the riverbed is risky and prone to unimaginable damages in the event of any unusual seismic activity. All these facts are well known and often reiterated by experts. Thus the least that the DDA should be doing is to admit these obvious risks as it goes about advertising for people including the non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin to invest in the said structure to be used for residential purposes,” he said. The Abhiyan claims its disclosures in the letter are aimed at helping buyers and investors “make an informed choice”. “A residential area becomes attractive first and foremost by its proximity to essential facilities like schools, hospitals, shops of general utility, and other residential neighbourhoods and not just by fancy sporting facilities or a popular temple or cultural centre etc. being nearby as the advertisement seems to highlight,” said Mr. Misra.