A major mishap took place at Delhi Chief Minister’s residence in the Civil Lines area after the roof of his chamber collapsed due to heavy rain last week but fortunately, no one was hurt.
The structural safety audit was commissioned after portions of Kejriwal’s official residence saw repeated damage, ranging from a ceiling collapse to a wall crumbling down.
“Over the past two weeks, especially after the heavy rainfall the city witnessed in July, a lot of issues have emerged in the CM’s residence. Recently, the ceiling of the CM’s main office chamber, where he used to conduct public hearings, collapsed. Luckily, no one was injured because the chamber has not been used since the pandemic struck Delhi,” said a staff member deployed at the CM’s residence.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has now been tasked with making the buildings within the CM’s residence structurally sound. However, while civil engineers worked on refurbishing the collapsed ceiling of Kejriwal’s chamber, the ceiling of its adjoining toilet, which was used by visitors also collapsed, an official said.
Another PWD official said the building where Kejriwal lives is nearly 80 years old.
According to sources, while repairs on the roof were being done, the roof of the adjacent toilet also collapsed. This was followed by the wall of the toilet developing cracks and bricks coming loose. Officials said PWD officials are now assessing the damage and the structural safety of the house, and a report will be prepared and submitted soon.
According to a government source, till now the Chamber of the CM was like a war room, where important meetings were held. It is a matter of luck that no one was present in the Chamber during the incident. The ceiling that collapsed was the personal chamber of the chamber Arvind Kejriwal.
