NEW DELHI — A visibly leaning six-storey building in northeast Delhi’s Dayalpur has triggered alarm among residents, just over a week after a nearby building collapse in Mustafabad killed 11 people. The precarious structure, located in Gali No. 8 off 33 Foota Road, has now been marked for demolition by municipal authorities.
The ground-plus-five-floor building, constructed on a narrow 25-square-yard plot, was found to be tilting and showing signs of structural distress. Officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and local police inspected the site on Wednesday, evacuating all occupants, including those from neighboring houses deemed to be at risk.
Residents say the building, which housed an NGO office on one floor and residential units on others, had multiple owners. Waseem, an employee of the NGO located on the second floor, said he had felt the building shift while standing on the terrace weeks ago. “That day I knew something was wrong,” he said, collecting his belongings after the evacuation.
A crack was spotted near the electric meter board at the narrow staircase entrance, and signs of instability prompted officials to begin a cautious, floor-by-floor demolition on Friday afternoon. MCD confirmed that the structure had visible dampness and was resting on loose soil on one side. Temporary support had been added before the demolition began.
Gali No. 8, a tightly packed street inaccessible to four-wheelers, is lined with multi-storey buildings with overhanging balconies and dangling wires. Local resident Yaseen said that in addition to the affected structure, four to five other families in nearby homes had relocated out of caution.
The area, classified as an unauthorised colony by police, houses primarily low-income residents, including daily-wage earners and laborers. With rent as low as ₹3,500 for a single-room unit, many live in cramped spaces described by one woman as “no bigger than a matchbox.” She recalled a recent incident where a glass pane fell from the same building, narrowly missing passersby.
Following recent seismic activity in the region, cracks had begun appearing, said resident Mohammad Shahbaz, who had lodged a complaint weeks earlier. “No one responded until now. After what happened in Mustafabad, I didn’t want to take a chance. I moved my family out,” he said.
Farheen Khan, 59, echoed the concern, preparing to shift his family to a relative’s home. “This colony has existed for decades, but now we live in constant fear. Children pass by this building every day on their way to school. Their lives are at stake,” he said.
Demolition of the unsafe building is underway in a phased manner, starting from the fifth floor. Notices have been issued to the building’s owners and the local police station’s Station House Officer.
