Wed Dec 25 01:37:08 UTC 2024: ## Delhi High Court Orders Demolition of Dangerous Signature View Apartments

**New Delhi, December 25, 2024** – The Delhi High Court has ordered the demolition of the Signature View Apartments in Mukherjee Nagar, deeming the buildings unsafe for habitation. The court’s decision, delivered on Monday, follows years of structural issues and a recommendation from expert bodies for demolition.

Justice Mini Pushkarna’s 145-page judgment mandates the evacuation of all remaining residents within three months. The court rejected the need for individual No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from flat owners, stating that the buildings’ dangerous condition supersedes such requirements.

The Signature View Apartments, a 2010 Delhi Development Authority (DDA) project comprising 336 flats, has suffered from significant structural defects since its completion in 2012. Cracks in pillars and columns, deteriorated ceilings, and falling plaster were reported as early as the first few years after residents moved in. The National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi both concluded that demolition was necessary due to irreparable damage.

While the DDA initially agreed to demolition and reconstruction after pressure from the Resident Welfare Association (RWA), some residents challenged the rehabilitation plan in court. Currently, 70% of flat owners (250 out of 336) have consented to the DDA’s plan. The court criticized the DDA for its “shocking apathy” and “gross negligence” in constructing the buildings, emphasizing the risk to hundreds of residents.

The court also rejected the DDA’s request to construct additional flats due to increased Floor Area Ratio (FAR), protecting the residents’ rights to existing common areas. The DDA is mandated to pay monthly rent compensation to flat owners until the reconstruction is complete – ₹50,000 for Higher Income Group (HIG) flats and ₹38,000 for Middle Income Group (MIG) flats, increasing by 10% annually.

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