Only 31 of 2,453 paying guest (PG) accommodations surveyed in Delhi have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Fire Service, while fewer than 30 per cent have sanctioned building plans, according to an MCD survey reported by The Indian Express. The survey also found that just eight buildings have structural stability certificates.
The survey covers PG properties across all 12 zones of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). It was conducted after the Delhi High Court pulled up the civic body following the collapse of a five-storey boys’ hostel in Satya Niketan on September 6, which killed seven people.
Of the 2,453 PG buildings surveyed, 726 have sanctioned building plans, while only 31 have fire NOCs and eight have structural stability certificates. The survey also checked documents related to structural stability, occupancy certificates (OCC) and compliance with the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD).
The gaps are particularly pronounced in some of Delhi’s major student areas. Civil Lines, where Delhi University’s North Campus is located, has 608 PG accommodations. Of these, 364 have sanctioned building plans, 28 have fire NOCs and 27 have regularisation approvals. None has a structural stability certificate, according to the survey.
In Keshav Puram, which has 410 PG properties, only 54 have sanctioned building plans. Two have fire NOCs, and two have structural stability certificates, while none has an occupancy certificate, the report said.
The situation is more stark in the south zone, which includes areas around Delhi University’s South Campus, IIT Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Of 390 PG properties surveyed there, none had a Delhi Fire Service clearance, structural stability certificate, sanctioned building plan or occupancy certificate. None was recorded as having PG activity permissible under the Master Plan, The Indian Express reported.
The MCD survey also examined whether buildings had the required layout plans. Under the civic body’s rules, such plans are required to comply with the Master Plan for Delhi and building bye-laws. A fire NOC, meanwhile, certifies compliance with prescribed fire-safety requirements for the building’s occupancy.
The survey deadline set by the Delhi High Court ended on Sunday, September 13. However, the MCD will continue the exercise for at least another day before wrapping it up, according to officials cited by The Indian Express.
