Standing on shaky grounds, Delhi riots victims try to rebuild homes and lives

The Delhi government had tasked the Public Works Department (PWD) to assess the extent of damage to properties and structural stability of these buildings.

A small bag filled with clothes of their six-month-old granddaughter is all that is left in Sanjay Kaushik’s three-storeyed house in north-east Delhi’s Brijpuri, which was one of the worst-affected areas during the recent communal violence. His house, along with several other buildings in the area, was set afire by the mob.

Kaushik, a cooking oil wholesale dealer, had renovated the house in 2017. The extent of damage is such that it has to be razed, he said.

“We had spent so much money on its renovation. We are left with nothing now,” said his wife, Bhagwati Kaushik, tightly holding the small bag.

“The local builder has said that the building is not safe as the floors, internal electric wirings and pipelines were damaged. We will have to reconstruct,” said Kaushik.

Like Kaushik, there were several families whose homes and shops were gutted in Brijpuri, Shiv Vihar, Chand Bagh, Maujpur, Karawal Nagar, Khajoori Khas and Gokalpuri, among others.

The Delhi government had tasked the Public Works Department (PWD) to assess the extent of damage to properties and structural stability of these buildings. In a large number of cases, reconstruction is the only way out, said a senior Delhi government official.

While government will compensate up to Rs5 lakh for damage to property, owners say rebuilding their houses is not going easy. A majority of the riot-hit areas are in unauthorised colonies, and construction of new buildings will be restricted.

In Shiv Vihar Phase-7, most families whose homes were set ablaze are yet to return. Some like Shaqir Ali spend their entire day sitting outside their damaged homes lest they miss any communication from the authorities regarding their compensation.

Ali’s two-storey home was reduced to rubble on February 25 after rioters used gas cylinders to bring down the building. On Wednesday, a team of officials from the sub-divisional magistrate’s (SDM’s) office in north-east Delhi visited his home for the second time for a final damage assessment. “I am told they will give me separate compensation amount for each floor. So far, I have only got the ex-gratia amount of Rs25,000. I had taken a loan to build my home about a year ago and today I am left with nothing,” Ali said.

A government official at the spot said Ali’s home has been put under the “total damage” category which means he will be entitled for Rs15 lakh compensation.

Focus now to give immediate relief: Govt

When asked whether the government is taking into consideration the legality of the homes damaged while disbursing compensation funds, the SDM on duty said: “No. The focus currently is only on providing immediate relief to the victims.”

The office of the district magistrate Shashi Kaushal said that a junior or an assistant level engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) was deputed with each of the 60 teams that have been on ground to assess the damages to the homes and shops.

“But those PWD officials were roped in to help us categorise the houses into three - total damage, substantial and minor damage - so that the right amount of compensation is disbursed to the victim. No separate report has been made on the structural safety of the properties burnt or damaged so far,” an official said on condition of anonymity.

On March 5, the Delhi government had revised its compensation scheme for riot victims under which an amount of Rs4 lakh will be provided to the owner of each floor in case of total damage to a residential property and Rs1 lakh for loss of household items, which is to be divided among tenants of that floor. Besides, a compensation of Rs1 lakh will be provided for complete loot of household goods in residential units and Rs50,000 for partial loot.

As of now, the government has disbursed at least Rs5.12 crore in compensation. Fourteen homes were assessed as completely damaged, 236 with substantial damages and 157 with minor damages. As many as 721 shops have also been made eligible for compensation after scrutiny.

New buildings and the challenges

According to East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) officials, new construction in unauthorised colonies is not allowed, as per law. All structures that have come up till January 1, 2015, in these areas are protected under the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2017.

“But no new construction is allowed in these areas. But there is a provision in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, which allows people to reconstruct under special circumstances such as these,” said a senior EDMC official.

Sandeep Kapoor, standing committee chairman of EDMC, said, “Those who suffered property damage will be allowed to rebuild and repair. We want to provide relief to people living in these areas, as they already have gone through a lot.”

For repair work, people don’t need permission from the EDMC. “We can’t give permission to construct in these areas. They will just have to inform us about the work which they want to carry out,” said a senior EDMC official.

Urban development experts say that the civic body should bring in special provisions to ensure the structural safety of the buildings. “Buildings in these areas were constructed without any approvals. If they are repaired or reconstructed, the civic agencies should ensure that they are done as per the prevailing building byelaws. The government can also bring in a special provision for this,” said Shamsher Singh, former chief town planner of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).