Diwali celebrations for residents of Signature View Apartments hit by power cut

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) For residents of Signature View Apartments, the festive spirit of Diwali has been replaced with heartbreak and disappointment, as they scrambled through packed boxes on Tuesday.

The power supply to the Delhi Development Authority's (DDA's) residential complex in Mukherjee Nagar was disconnected a day earlier, after the court-set deadline to vacate expired on October 12.

"Festivals are ruined for us. When we should be busy decorating our homes for Diwali, we are shifting and moving," said Shilpi, one of the residents, while holding two plastic bags stuffed with clothes and rushing towards her car.

Vicky, her husband, waiting in the car to return to their rented accommodation in Mukherjee Nagar, said, "A person builds their home over the years, invests in it and decorates it — all is ruined. We have found a rented accommodation, but we don't get the same comfort. It feels like a compromise. Rent rates in the area have skyrocketed; people are quoting very high prices." Vicky lived in a three-bedroom apartment on the fifth floor of L-Block.

At the complex gate, a continuous stream of goods-moving trucks could be seen entering and leaving. Security guards hired by the RWA and those deployed by the DDA stood at the entrance.

Vijay Singh, one of the DDA guards, stopped a vehicle and checked the address. Holding a polythene bag containing keys to vacated flats, he asked the driver to call the residents for verification.

"Movement has increased in the past few days. This is not like other high-rise buildings in the NCR, where there's a digital entry system. Here, calls can't be made as the power supply has been disconnected," Singh said.

Constructed between 2007 and 2009, Signature View Apartments were allotted under a DDA housing scheme by 2011–12. Over the years, they have faced severe structural deterioration. The complex was named for its view of the Signature Bridge from the rooftops of some blocks.

Ashu Vij, a resident of L-Block, was seen bidding goodbye to a family member as the last of his belongings were loaded into a truck.

"We spent Rs 3 crore on our home, and we were treated like encroachers in a jhuggi. My child has a breathing problem and needs a nebuliser, but the MCD people ignored our pleas and disconnected the power. They even broke the electricity meters. Are we criminals?" Vij said.

"At 12 midnight, we had to take our four-year-old to my mother's house. My wife and I returned to pack the remaining items. We were assured by MCD Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh that we could stay till October 25, but our calls and messages to him went unanswered," he added.

According to the security in charge at the apartments, only 298 out of 336 flats had been vacated so far. After vacating, residents must hand over certain documents to the guards.

"Even if we pay Rs 1 lakh in rent, we won't find accommodation like our own home. The space we had here is not available elsewhere. But we had to move because the building is dangerous — many vehicles have been damaged by falling plaster," said Mahesh Gopali, who is shifting to a rented flat in Ashok Vihar.

Cracks are visible on staircases, plaster is peeling off, and rusted iron rods are exposed in several places.

"We’re moving today because our rented flat wasn’t ready earlier. My wife and children are still inside without electricity. There's conflict in the residents' welfare association, too; there was confusion," Gopali said.

In March, the DDA issued a tender to demolish and reconstruct the Signature View Apartments. Last week, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a plea challenging a Delhi High Court order that said there would be no stay on demolition.

On October 14, the MCD disconnected the power supply to the apartments. PTI SSM HIG