Dwarka police housing building decrepit just 3 years after launch

NEW DELHI: Tucked away in Ambrahi Village, Dwarka, a nine-storey housing complex had once been envisioned as a modern residential facility for nearly 200 Delhi Police officials and their families.

- Karn Pratap Singh

But it was declared structurally unsafe and unfit for habitation even before anyone could move in, at least three senior Delhi Police officers aware of the matter said.

The police housing complex in Sector 19 was approved in 2010 and constructed at a staggering cost of over Rs 55 crore by RITES, a government-owned engineering consultancy firm. It was inaugurated virtually by Union home minister Amit Shah on February 16, 2022. Amid an abysmally low Delhi Police housing satisfaction level of 20%, it was supposed to be a secure accommodation for its officials.

At the time, RITES roped in IIT-Delhi to carry out the structural survey. The handover of the complex to the police was then deferred, after IIT-Delhi's report flagged major structural flaws, including cracks in beams and columns as well as concrete spalling, the officers who asked not to be named said.

Police were informed of the situation earlier this year.

It was not immediately clear why the survey was carried out. HT reached out to RITES for a request for comment, but did not receive a response to the queries by the time of going to print.

Decaying and weather-worn, the building now stands as an example of shoddy construction, waste of taxpayer money, administrative failure, and lack of accountability.