News: North Delhi civic body orders survey of small household units running illegally-28-02-2021
"While we have called a joint meeting to decide future course of action, including speedy survey in congested areas and notice to defaulters, we are also waiting for the police inquiry report based on which action will be taken,” said the mayor.
NEW DELHI: North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Jai Prakash has directed the building department to carry out a survey of small-scale household units running in non-conforming areas without obtaining licences or submitting relevant documents.
He has also called a joint meeting with officials of the department to finalise a list of congested areas where survey can be started on priority and to decide further action against defaulters on the basis of a report about the fire incident at Pratap Nagar, which is to be submitted by Delhi Police.
The development took place after the mayor and other civic staff visited the site of the fire incident. “Our staff were informed by locals that a lipstick packaging unit was running in a small rented room and many other similar packaging, storing and assembling units were found operating on a 700-800 square yard multi-storeyed plot originally meant for residential purpose. It is a non-confirming area and the factory looked illegal as per an initial inquiry,” said Jai Prakash.
“Even if these factories were operating as household units, officials needed to check if they had applied for any licence. While we have called a joint meeting to decide future course of action, including speedy survey in congested areas and notice to defaulters, we are also waiting for the police inquiry report based on which action will be taken,” said the mayor.
Officials said that due to congestion in these areas, people have left their residences and rented them for running small-scale units. “But these units can’t operate without fulfilling norms, such as taking appropriate electric connections. We are even ready to provide a licence for running factories in industrial areas on each floor provided conditions are met,” said the mayor.
In December 2019, a massive blaze had ripped through a four-storey building housing illegal manufacturing units in north Delhi’s congested Anaj Mandi. None of the units had NOC from the fire department. Forty-three labourers were killed in the incident. Teams were then formed to probe the cause of fire but till date, no one has been punished in that case.
