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Delhi authorities have ramped up efforts to evacuate the structurally unsafe Signature View Apartments in Mukherjee Nagar, where only 85 of 336 flats have been vacated despite repeated warnings and a High Court demolition order. Originally built between 2007 and 2010, the complex showed severe structural damage within years. A 2022 IIT Delhi audit declared it uninhabitable. In response, the DDA will now provide monthly rent compensation-INR 50,000 for HIG and INR 38,000 for MIG flats-on a flat-wise basis from January 2025. Police deployment and service disconnections are being considered as last resorts. Reconstruction planning, compensation logistics, and investigations into construction lapses are ongoing.
Authorities in Delhi have stepped up enforcement measures to evacuate the dangerously unstable Signature View Apartments located in Mukherjee Nagar, following months of delay, repeated warnings, and a judicial directive. Advertisement
With only 85 out of 336 flats vacated so far, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are now resorting to more aggressive steps, including the deployment of police forces and the planned disconnection of essential services like water and electricity for remaining occupants.
This push comes just as the DDA, after sustained criticism and resident protests, has assured that rent compensation will be released by the end of this month, including retrospective payments from January 2025 for residents who have already vacated. The authority confirmed that INR 50,000 per month will be provided to High-Income Group (HIG) flat residents and INR 38,000 for Middle-Income Group (MIG) units, with payments released on a flat-by-flat basis following inspection and confirmation of vacancy.
Signature View was originally developed between 2007 and 2010 and handed over to residents in phases starting 2011-12. However, within just a few years, residents began reporting visible cracks, structural corrosion, and water seepage. A comprehensive structural audit conducted by IIT Delhi in 2022 concluded that the towers were unfit for human habitation due to severe foundational and design deficiencies. The Delhi High Court later endorsed the audit's conclusions and ordered demolition and reconstruction of the complex.
In October 2023, the DDA issued its first formal evacuation notice. While a section of residents complied, many refused to vacate citing inadequate compensation, lack of written redevelopment timelines, and poor communication from the authorities. Their concerns were compounded by the absence of updated demand letters, required for processing relocation benefits, which have reportedly not been issued since January 2025.
The matter escalated further during the current monsoon season, with safety concerns mounting due to water infiltration and already weakened structures. This led the MCD to formally request support from Delhi Police for eviction enforcement. Officials stated that disconnection of water and electricity will be implemented as a last resort if residents fail to vacate voluntarily. According to reports, authorities are preparing detailed ward-level enforcement plans to ensure residents move out before any structural failure occurs.
In response to the increasing tension and repeated appeals from residents, the DDA recently revised its compensation disbursal strategy. It will now release rent aid in a phased, unit-wise manner instead of waiting for the entire building to be vacated. This marks a significant shift from its earlier policy and appears aimed at boosting compliance rates and defusing the ongoing standoff.
Additionally, a technical committee was constituted by the DDA to fast-track the rebuilding process and oversee resident claims and compensation logistics. Parallelly, an official probe is underway into the original construction lapses, with accountability being sought from the builder and the structural engineering firm involved in the project. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has personally intervened in the matter in the past, pressing for transparency and accountability over the project's compromised design and safety standards.
Residents, however, remain divided. Some have welcomed the move and expressed relief over the DDA's assurance of rent payments, while others continue to demand clearer timelines on reconstruction, possession of alternate housing, and transparent procedural communication.
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