Special Task force to examine the safety of buildings: Centre tells SC

By Realty Quarter Bureau

The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the special task force (STF), which would be set up to oversee the enforcement of laws to deal with unauthorized constructions and encroachments in Delhi, would also look into the safety aspects of buildings which have been built legally.

The government told a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that the STF would examine the safety aspects, like firefighting, in buildings like schools, hospitals, theatres and restaurants to see whether they complied with the norms.

Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni (ASG), appearing for the Centre, told the bench that they have added one representative from the office of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor in the task force, which would be chaired by the vice-chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

“Even if there is a legal building, the task force will look into the safety aspects like fire and others,” he told the bench.

However, the apex court asked Nadkarni as to what has been done with regard to the issue of depletion of ground water in Delhi. The ASG told the bench they were taking steps in this regard.

The bench, while listing the matter for further hearing on April 24, asked the member secretary of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) to remain present before it on the next date to assist it.

The ASG told the bench that proper security arrangements would be put in place for the court-appointed monitoring committee so that they would carry out the sealing drive in Delhi as per the apex court’s mandate.

He said three senior officials of Delhi Police have been asked to coordinate with the committee and chalk out further modalities in this regard. He also handed over to the court a revised note regarding the ongoing sealing drive.

The bench said it would hear this issue on April 24.

The STF, to be chaired by the vice-chairman of DDA, would also comprise of commissioners of the three municipal corporation of Delhi (MCDs), chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the CEO of Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

The other members of STF would be commissioner or secretary of transport, secretary of urban development and secretary of revenue department of the Delhi government, special commissioner (law and order), special commissioner (traffic) of Delhi Police, chief fire officer of Delhi and commissioner (planning) of the DDA.

The ASG had said that STF would identify encroachments on government land, suggest the course of action to Centre with regard to unauthorized colonies in Delhi and oversee effective and proper enforcement of applicable laws by local bodies particularly about violation and unauthorized constructions.

The top court had earlier ordered restoration of its 2006 monitoring committee to identify and seal such offending structures.

The monitoring committee, comprising K J Rao, former advisor to the Election Commissioner, Bhure Lal, chairman of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, and Major General (Retd) Som Jhingan, was set up on March 24, 2006, by the court.

The top court is also hearing arguments on validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 and subsequent legislations which protect unauthorized construction from being sealed.