Delhi orders bulldozer action
The Delhi Government on Wednesday ordered the use of bulldozer against illegal constructions across the Capital, days after a Paying Guest (PG) accommodation collapse killed seven students. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to start action against illegal construction. Authorities have also been asked to examine building records to ascertain the year when unauthorised constructions came up and under whose jurisdiction and responsibility they occurred. The CM also ordered all senior MCD officials to remain on the ground during the action.
“Conduct intensive inspections of all PG hostels in Delhi and take action against illegal construction. Scrutinise building records, determine exactly when the illegal construction took place, and under whose jurisdiction,” the CM said.
17 properties were sealed, 22 show-cause notices were issued and 4 demolition orders were passed on Wednesday. As per details shared by the MCD, it has carried out 34 demolition actions and sealed 17 properties in 12 zones, on Tuesday.
The civic body also identified around 1,243 buildings operating as PGs, housing 24,000 occupants, to create a database and assess their structural safety. The MCD said it is assessing PG buildings for vulnerabilities, with particular focus on those having more than five storeys with RCC-framed structures or more than four storeys with load-bearing brick-wall structures. Based on field assessments, the buildings are being classified as Visibly Safe, Visibly Repairable - needs minor repairs, Visibly Repairable - needs major repairs and Visibly Vulnerable or Dangerous”.
The MCD surveyed a total of 1,252 PG buildings across the city. Of these, 39 buildings were found to require minor repair, while nine buildings required major repair. Three buildings were found to be dangerous, and one of these three has already been demolished, according to the records.
The demolition actions in some parts, however, drew allegations from local residents who claimed that enforcement was selective, with similar multi-storey structures allegedly continuing to operate in the area without facing comparable action. The MCD has directed its field staff to step up inspections of unsafe and dilapidated buildings and ensure that construction is carried out in accordance with sanctioned building plans and safety norms.
In an order issued by the deputy commissioner of the MCD’s North West Zone, junior engineers were asked to ensure that owners and builders adhere to sanctioned plans and take all precautions prescribed under the Unified Building Bye-Laws, 2016, and the Master Plan for Delhi. The order noted that Delhi had witnessed several building collapses in recent times and said the survey of dangerous buildings falls under the mandate of the Building Department. Junior engineers have been directed to conduct fresh surveys in unauthorised areas to identify structures that have become dilapidated or outlived their structural life.
The five-storey building that collapsed in Satya Niketan is the fifth in the city this year. According to official figures and police statements, the 16 deaths have come from three incidents — six in Saket in May, three in Rohini in July and seven in the latest incident on September 6. The underlying factors leading to the collapse of all the buildings are common, said officials. These include unregulated and unauthorised construction, additional floors, ageing structures and a lack of structural assessments.
