By IANS,
New Delhi: With water accumulated in basements of many east Delhi buildings, a repeat of Lalita Park building collapse is a distinct possibility, a minister said Wednesday.
Delhi Urban Development Minister A.K. Walia visited many such buildings in east Delhi, and said a permanent solution needs to be thought of.
“A permanent solution to the problem of accumulation of water at places like Laxmi Nagar, Ramesh Park, and M.B. Pushta Road is needed. Otherwise, a number of colonies that have come up in the area will continue to remain in danger,” Walia said.
Experts say many buildings with inferior construction and flooded basements exist in east Delhi, posing a potent danger to life and property.
A five-storey house collapsed in east Delhi’s Lalita Park locality Nov 15, killing at least 69 people, most of them daily wage workers and their families from Bihar and West Bengal.
The minister said though residents of many buildings have pumped out water from basements, the situation remains grave.
Walia was accompanied by officials from various state government authorities like the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Officials discussed plans to construct a temporary drain to flush out accumulated water, and asked the locals to get necessary sanctions before constructing new buildings.