First- & Second-Floor Encroachments: Why These “Small” Add-Ons Put All of Jaina Tower II at Risk
Photos analysed: • Figure 1 – First-floor projection (corrugated-sheet canopy, AC unit, makeshift curtain). • Figure 2 – Second-floor enclosure (room built inside the refuge shaft, bricked-up façade, tin roof on flimsy pipes).
1. What the pictures show — and why it matters
Location
Visible alteration
Why it’s illegal & dangerous
1st floor (Fig 1)
– Corrugated-sheet roof jutting ~1 m beyond the original column line.- AC compressor mounted on the new wall.- Torn flex banners used as makeshift cladding.- Mild-steel grill closing the gap between columns.
• Encroachment on common property: the slab was designed as an open plinth for ventilation; enclosing it changes the load path and blocks airflow.• Live-load overload: AC compressors, rainwater ponding on the sheet, and stored items add weight the cantilever was never designed to carry.• Falling-object hazard: loosely tied banners and rusting metal can detach in wind, endangering pedestrians and vehicles beneath the colonnade.
2nd floor (Fig 2)
– Entire refuge shaft bricked up and plastered.- A full-fledged room with satellite dish & tin roof propped by skinny MS pipes.- Previous ventilation louvres sealed behind masonry.
• Violation of NBC 2016 & Delhi Building Bye-Laws: every high-rise must keep designated refuge areas and natural-ventilation shafts unobstructed for smoke venting and fire-fighter entry.• Fire-load addition: domestic use means wiring, furniture, LPG stoves, etc.— all inside a space meant to stay empty.• Structural differential: adding masonry where drawings show perforated louvres imposes extra dead load on one side of the frame, causing long-term cracking (already visible in adjacent columns).
2. Domino effects residents often overlook
Fire-NOC renewal becomes impossible – Delhi Fire Service routinely rejects buildings with blocked refuges or new combustible roofs. A single encroachment can void the NOC for the entire tower, risking electricity disconnection (remember the 2022 blackout).
Insurance & resale hit – Surveyors flag unauthorised extensions; insurers may deny claims after an incident, and banks refuse to lend against flats with pending demolition notices.
Water seepage & corrosion – Tin roofs trap leaves and water against the RCC beam; seepage accelerates rebar rust, leading to spalling concrete that can fall onto the portico.
Legal exposure for all owners – DDA can levy hefty compounding fees or order sealing/demolition under Section 31 of the 2016 Bye-Laws, billing the residents’ welfare association for execution costs.
3. How to push back (before the next audit)
Step
Action
Document
Photograph & date-stamp encroachments from multiple angles. Keep a running log (see our 701 C lift-shaft post for format).
Notify
Submit a joint complaint to DDA’s Building Section & Delhi Fire Service citing blocked refuge shafts; attach drawings from the original completion certificate.
Demand structural audit
Engage an independent structural engineer to calculate the added dead/live load on the first- and second-floor slabs; share findings with all occupants.
Insist on removal
Under Bye-Law 14.7, owners are liable to dismantle unauthorised work at their own cost; collective pressure works—see last year’s success when the 5th-floor hoarding was taken down after residents petitioned.
Have more evidence or need template letters? Explore our resources or drop us a line—together we can reclaim a safer Jaina Tower II.
