Latest news with #NewDelhiMunicipalCouncil
Indian Express
4 minutes ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘How can they wake up one day, ask us to leave?': Palika Dham complex in Delhi declared unsafe, residents told to vacate
Walk through the black gate of the Palika Dham Housing Complex in Gole Market, and you're met with a long row of modest grey buildings that have seen better days — broken tiles reveal the brickwork beneath, seepage marks stain the walls, and small plants have taken root in the cracks. Recently, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) declared the buildings unsafe and asked residents to vacate their homes. In a notice issued on July 11, residents were directed to register their names and details on the NDMC's e-Awas Portal between July 14 and 16 to apply for alternative housing. Verification of these applications was to be completed by July 17. 'Failure to do so will result in non-allotment of alternative accommodation at new locations… the existing quarters will have to be vacated compulsorily,' the notice further read. The announcement has left residents divided — all of whom are government employees, both retired and currently serving. Pointing to a broken window in her flat from the road, Roshni, an employee with the NDMC's health department, said, 'They are asking us to vacate for a valid reason. What if an accident takes place? Who will be responsible?' She said that a month ago, her sister-in-law suffered injuries to her back after plaster from the ceiling at her home fell on her. 'Moving and shifting the children to other schools will be a hassle, but it is better than living with a daily risk.' She added that the water tankers located above the homes have caused seepage and weakened the ceilings. Since the 1970s, the complex has been home to more than a hundred government employees, said residents. It also includes a gym, a temple, and a baraat ghar (wedding hall). Another employee with the health department, who was bringing his two children back from school on a two-wheeler, agreed that the apartments are in bad shape. 'I hope they allot a place nearby. But even if it is a little far from the school, I will drop my children.' However, President of the Residents' Welfare Association (RWA), Raju Dhakolia, said the solution is not to evict residents. 'Ever since the buildings were constructed in the 1970s, no repairs have been undertaken. Suddenly, 150 flats need to be emptied. How can they wake up one fine day and ask us to move out, declaring our homes unsafe?' said Dhakolia, a retired NDMC electricity department employee. The RWA has submitted a letter to the New Delhi Assembly constituency MLA, Parvesh Sahib Singh, requesting him to solve the problems faced by residents. Their concerns include broken handpumps, lack of security guards, overgrown trees, and leakage in water pipelines. When contacted, NDMC officials said these houses are brick masonry structures constructed in 1974. 'The NDMC places highest priority on the safety and welfare of its employees. After a detailed structural assessment, the Palika Dham flats, which are more than 50 years old and have outlived their lifespan, were declared unsafe for habitation. The safety of residents cannot be compromised under any circumstances. However, regular maintenance of these flats was being carried out by the council,' an official said. The official added that the civic body has taken proactive steps to ensure that affected residents are offered new, suitable and more spacious alternative accommodations.
Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Retired NSG personnel robbed of cash, jewellery at gunpoint in Chandni Chowk: 2 arrested
A 35-year-old man, who works as the driver of an employee in the New Delhi Municipal Council, has been arrested for allegedly robbing a retired assistant commandant with the National Security Guard (NSG), police said. Police said the victim, who owns a jewellery shop in Kinari market, was robbed of Rs 60 lakh worth of jewellery and cash at gunpoint in Chandni Chowk Saturday. Police have detained another person in connection with the crime and are questioning him. A search for the third accused is underway. Police are yet to recover the robbed items in the case. Police said when they analysed CCTV footage, they found that all three accused went in different directions. The main accused, Alok Kumar Mishra, took a Metro and deboarded at Noida City Centre station from where he rode a scooter, which was captured in the footage. On verification, it came to light that the scooter belonged to Mishra. According to police, the victim, Bhimsen (86), was at his residence with his son Sandeep, daughter-in-law Neelam, and grandson when the robbery took place. 'A man named Sunil knocked on the door of the house and called out the name of a family member. As soon as the door was opened, three masked assailants, armed with weapons, forced their way into the residence. They started searching the house for some documents,' a police officer said. When the grandson resisted, one of the masked men took out a gun and tied his hands before taping his mouth, the officer added. The intruders then looted jewellery and precious stones worth Rs 50 lakh, while also taking $3,550. They also locked the family members in the kitchen before fleeing, he said. Once the thieves left, the family called their neighbours to get them out, police said. Police suspect a possible monetary dispute behind the crime.
India Today
17 hours ago
- Climate
- India Today
Delhi hit by heavy rain, several areas flooded; airport issues advisory
Heavy rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Tuesday morning, leading to waterlogging in multiple areas, including the heart of the national Delhi, home to key government offices and embassies, saw massive water accumulation after hours of downpour. A stretch of Janpath Road was reported submerged, with water entering several shops along the road connecting Janpath to Jantar Mantar was also partially under water. The affected stretch falls under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) jurisdiction and lies less than 500 metres from Parliament Light rain was also reported from Gurugram, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for more showers across Delhi through the day. The airport authorities have issued an advisory, urging passengers to check the status of their flights and leave for the airport well in advance to avoid delays due to possible traffic snarls caused by waterlogging. The minimum temperature in the capital settled at 26 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of year. The maximum is expected to hover around 35 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity was recorded at 83 per cent at 8.30 am, the IMD weather department forecast also indicated that light rain will continue through the week, with weather conditions expected to remain similar until July the city's air quality remained in the 'moderate' category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 103, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). An AQI between 101 and 200 is classified as moderate.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Step By Step Into Neglect: These CP Escalators Are Taking You Nowhere
1 2 New Delhi: Multiple escalators meant for pedestrian safety and convenience at busy junctions in the Connaught Place area and its outer circle don't function, despite repeated complaints from shopkeepers and the public. Following criticism some time back, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) fixed some escalators from the 22 units installed across Connaught Place that link subways to major roads. However, a significant number of the escalators continue to be out of order because of broken components and missing parts due to thefts. This causes inconvenience to office-goers, and many prefer to use zebra crossings instead of the subways. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi During a visit to the outer circle, TOI found escalators not working in M Block at Barakhamba Road, at the intersection of Kasturba Gandhi Marg and the outer circle, opposite the Gopaldas building, among other places. At the M Block market, no sweeping seemed to have taken place as waste had collected next to the out-of-order escalators and pedestrians were avoiding using it. "These escalators aim to dissuade people from crossing the roads haphazardly and allow smooth movement of traffic on the road. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo However, created by investing so much money, they are mostly non-operational," said Ritika Gupta, a pedestrian near M Block. The situation raises questions about maintenance and security upkeep of the NDMC, which claims to have installed hundreds of CCTV cameras and developed a control and command centre for the smooth management of its services. "These open or partly damaged escalators with no guards often become the hub for unwanted activities. Ideally, NDMC should have made arrangements or installed gates at the entrances of subways to keep these facilities safe at night. People, especially women commuters, avoid using them as they become deserted." NDMC officials stated that they do repair the units. "There are 22 escalators in the outer circle of Connaught Place, at five subways. At present, 13 are functional. While a comprehensive annual maintenance contract has been awarded to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) company, the replacement of damaged or stolen parts is not covered in the contract. The malfunctioning of the escalators is due to theft of parts or vandalism by miscreants. " Last year, the council also coordinated with the local police to check the theft of escalator items, carried out cleaning operations, and decided to depute security staff in three shifts for 75 days after the former NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay made a visit to these sites. "To deal with the issue of theft of accessories, the civil engineering department has processed the case to cover all entrances and provide proper locking arrangements to avoid theft and damages," said the NDMC official. The officials added that these escalators were installed during 2010-11. As per the CPWD work manual, the prescribed life of escalators is 15 years, which is why the OEM firm has been directed to submit a detailed survey report of all the escalators as well. The council has also placed escalators in other locations across Lutyens' Delhi, apart from Connaught Place, and many times these are found non-operational too.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
NDMC Awarded for Top Performance in Waste Management and Green Initiatives
New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council was adjudged among the top-performing cities with a population between 50,000 and three lakh and conferred the 'Super Swachh League City Award' at Swachh Survekshan 2024-25. It received the title for its efforts in waste management and green initiatives. The 'Super Swachh League City Award' is given to the top-performing cities recognised for their cleanliness and sanitation practices. "This year, 23 cities were felicitated in this category. they secured improved ranks in the last three years," said an official. In 2023, NDMC's overall rank was 7th in the Swachh Survekshan rankings among cities with a population of over one lakh. "NDMC was declared a Super Swachh League City, recognising its unwavering commitment, innovation, and leadership in delivering world-class sanitation, waste management and green initiatives in the category of cities," said a happy Keshav Chandra, chairman, NDMC. "I congratulate our employees, especially our safai sevaks whose relentless hard work earned us this national recognition." You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi NDMC claims to have taken several initiatives like establishing and operating reduce-reuse-recycle centres, maintaining one road every week and establishing composting centres in addition to cleaning markets and residential areas several times. The civic body's vice-chairman Kuljeet Chahal said the collaborative spirit of the community was pivotal in achieving this honour. "We reaffirm our commitment to sustain and enhance cleanliness, improve green cover and adopt cutting-edge sanitation technologies in pursuit of its vision for a cleaner, greener and healthier New Delhi," he said. NDMC was also certified with a 5-star water + ranking. NDMC also introduced the concept of Anupam colonies, which are model zero-waste colonies, showcasing the body's commitment to a sustainable and clean city. "NDMC has already declared two colonies as Anupam colonies — Bharti Nagar and DID2 Chanakyapuri. Work is complete in both colonies," said an official. Meanwhile, the Delhi Cantonment Board's performance in the survey dropped drastically, with a placement at the 30th position out of 58 participants among cities with a 50,000-three lakh population. In contrast, last year, it had ranked 7th.
