Mayapuri is a locality in West Delhi. It used to be a major hub of small scale industries, but following recent government sanctions, most of the heavy metal industries moved out. The place is now a combination of residential flats, light metal factories and automobile service stations. The area is mostly residential now, with major localities built by the Delhi Development Authority. These include Hari Enclave, Vikrant Enclave, MIG Flats and Maya Enclave. There are some major landmarks in this area like the Food Corporation of India, Metal Forging, New Era Public School and Din Dayal Upadhyay Hospital. Vatika Apartments, MIG Flats, is a DDA Colony that was completed and allotted to owners in 1977. There are approximately 432 flats in this society, with A, B, C, D and E streets. Most of B, C and E street have privately held apartments and have their association as RWA 73. Entire D Street and Flats from E-30 to E-34 belongs to the Government of India and the current tenants are serving officers of the Govt. of India. They have their own RWA in the name of Central Government Officers Resident Welfare Association. A Street also has a governmental holding in several apartments, and these belong to the Customs and Excise Wing of the GoI. Vatika Apartments is a mid-premium gated locality and has its own Mother Dairy and a Local Shopping Centre. Mayapuri is served by three malls of Rajouri Garden - City Square Mall, TDI Mall and West Gate Mall, and by the upmarket Pacific Mall in Tagore Garden/Subhash Nagar. All these malls are within of Mayapuri. Mayapuri is approximately from Connaught Place and New Delhi Railway Station, and about 14 km from the Domestic Airport Terminal. It has a Maruti Showroom and workshop, and workshops of Hyundai and Honda as well at a close distance. Mayapuri is also one of the major bus terminals for the Delhi Transport Corporation. Delhi Metro's Mayapuri, Rajouri Garden and Subhash Nagar stations are close by. The petrol pumps at Beriwala Bagh, Police Station and Subhash Nagar are within easy reach. Several schools are in close proximity as are several banks like UCO Bank, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, ICIC Bank, HDFC Bank and many more. Park Plaza, Iris Hometel and Signature Grand are the three premium hotels in Mayapuri. They are situated in Hari Nagar, but that is just as good as Mayapuri. These are about from Vatika Apartments, Mayapuri.
Mayapuri radiological accident
In April 2010, the locality of Mayapuri was affected by a serious radiological accident. An AECL Gammacell 220 research irradiator owned by Delhi University since 1968, but unused since 1985, was sold at auction to a scrap metal dealer in Mayapuri on 26 February 2010. The orphan source arrived at a scrap yard in Mayapuri during March, where it was dismantled by workers unaware of the hazardous nature of the device. The cobalt-60 source was cut into eleven pieces. The smallest of the fragments was taken by Ajay Jain who kept it in his wallet, two fragments were moved to a nearby shop, while the remaining eight remained in the scrap yard. All of the sources were recovered by mid-April and transported to the Narora Atomic Power Station, where it was claimed that all radioactive material originally contained within the device was accounted for. The material remains in the custody of the Department of Atomic Energy Eight people were hospitalised in AIIMS as a result of radiation exposure, where one later died. The event was rated level 4 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Events Scale.
Metal recycling activities
One of the main business at Mayapuri is the recycling of metal scraps and sale of salvage vehicle parts. It is, arguably, the biggest market for used automotive and industrial spare parts in India. Many traders from all over India come here to sell or purchase old auto parts. Many small workshops specialised in different metals are active in the Mayapuri area. The safety of the scrap yards became a concern after the radiological accident which occurred in April 2010. The area is not equipped with radiation detectors or portics, despite being a common practice in steel recycling factories in the US and in most of the European countries. The presence of toxic heavy metals and of harmful chemicals in the waste generated by these activities presents a direct menace for the health of several thousands of people living in the area.
