The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has commenced the procedure to demolish the deteriorating Signature View Apartments located in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi. Contractors are invited to submit bids for the demolition of 336 apartments belonging to both high-income and middle-income groups. A pre-bid meeting for the Rs 3-crore project is scheduled for April 1.
During the recent hearing on March 14, the Delhi High Court extended the interim stay against the demolition, which was granted last year. The court has also directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to provide explanations regarding the declaration of Signature View Apartments as dangerous. The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on April 22.
Last year, the high court had stayed DDA’s demolition plan based on a separate plea filed by some of the apartment residents.
DDA officials clarified that while the tender process has begun to expedite proceedings, the contract will only be awarded post the court verdict.
Amarendra Kumar Rakesh, president of the Signature View Apartments Residents Welfare Association (RWA), stated that residents were not informed about the tender process by DDA. However, the RWA supports the demolition and is prepared to vacate, provided DDA initiates compensatory rent payments for the evacuated residents.
According to DDA’s tender proposal, the awarded agency will be responsible for the demolition, with a timeframe of 120 days for completion. The demolition will not affect external services like sewers, water lines, drains, electric lines, or boundary walls, unless directed by DDA.
Signature View Apartments consist of 10 towers with stilt and 10 storeys, along with two towers having stilt and six storeys. Given the complexity of the demolition process and the need to ensure safety, DDA mandates hiring a proficient consultant with a seven-year track record in overseeing the demolition of multi-storeyed RCC structures.
Constructed between 2007 and 2010 and allotted to residents in 2011-2012, concerns regarding the structural safety of the building emerged shortly afterward. A study conducted by IIT-Delhi in 2021-22, at DDA’s behest, recommended the immediate evacuation and dismantling of the buildings after testing 184 samples.