Coaching centre tragedy: Illegal basements galore in F’bad, just 20 sealed so far
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, August 9
The Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) sealed around 20 illegal basements after a drive to detect and seal such structures was launched after the incident of flooding of water in a basement of a coaching centre in New Delhi in which three youngsters were killed.
70% units don’t have fire NOC
While the recent tragedy at the coaching institute in Delhi highlights the widespread violation of building rules, over 70 per cent of the industrial and commercial units are also functional without the Fire No Objection Certificate. The building permit must adhere to the regulations before starting the commercial or professional use. — Varun Sheokand, Area resident
The civic authorities here are yet to have the exact data regarding the unauthorised structures despite reports of a large number of basements being constructed or existing without the approval of a building plan, it was reported.
The campaign launched in the city seems to have lost the steam as no action has taken place in the past week, sources in the local administration claim. The drive had been launched on the direction of the MCF Commissioner, in which all the Joint Commissioners heading each the zones of NIT, Old Faridabad and Ballabgarh had been asked to get a survey, with the directions of sealing illegal basements. However, sources claim that the drive resulted in the sealing of only a few basements, though the number of such structures was much higher.
“With a majority of the basements coming up illegally, their number could be in thousands, as no survey had been done over the years,” social activist Vishnu Goel claimed. Asking how such constructions were allowed, he said every third of the building having a basement that had come up in the past two decades could be violating the norms.
Krishan Lal Gera, who had filed a PIL on the matter of illegal constructions a few years ago, had alleged the presence of a nexus and a kind of racket, as he said basements were being used for commercial purposes in various sectors and residential colonies.
“While the recent tragedy at the coaching institute in Delhi highlights the widespread violation of building rules, over 70 per cent of the industrial and commercial units are also functional without the Fire NOC (No Objection Certificate). The building permit must adhere to the regulations before starting the commercial or professional use,” said Varun Sheokand, an area resident.
The permitted use of basements includes storing non-combustible household goods, strong rooms, bank cellars, air conditioning equipment, laundry for hotels, hospitals, group housing, and service apartments (for in-house use only). In case of commercial use, it can be used as a car wash, security room, ticketing booth, drivers’ waiting room, escalator lobbies and parking, but not for residential or commercial purposes, said an official.
“As the drive has been on against illegal basements, proper action will be taken against the violators,” said Gaurav Antil, Additional Commissioner, MCF.
