Delhi govt demolishes shrine built on govt land

Taking action against illegal construction, the Delhi government on Tuesday demolished a shrine built on Government land in the middle of a road. According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the action was part of the government's drive against illegal encroachments and aimed to remove obstacles delaying the road expansion project, which is expected to improve traffic flow on the busy corridor.

“The road-widening project is intended to provide a smooth and obstruction-free route for commuters travelling between Pitampura and Shalimar Bagh,” the CMO said. The demolition also forms part of a wider crackdown on unauthorised structures that hinder public infrastructure projects and affect road connectivity across the national capital. The CMO said that the city Government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal construction and encroachments on government land.

Notably, the anti-encroachment drive has intensified in recent weeks. Since June 1, authorities have demolished 94 illegally constructed buildings and sealed 114 others for violations of building byelaws and fire safety norms.

The Government said the crackdown gathered pace after the June 3 Malviya Nagar fire tragedy. Since then, 63 buildings have been demolished, with the largest single-day action recorded on June 3 when 22 structures were razed.