MCD crackdown on illegal high-rise buildings; 4 officials face action
New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has begun clamping down on illegal high-rise constructions in unauthorised colonies and initiated strict action against erring officials after a building collapsed in the northeastern part of the city.
Eleven people, including three children, were killed after a two-decade-old four-storey building collapsed in Shakti Vihar in the early hours of Saturday. The incident also left 11 persons injured.
It was located in an area which was part of an unauthorised colony. A closer look into the buildings of the area has revealed that several of them were five to six-storey tall, which were in violation of safety norms. “The moot point is how such massive unauthorised constructions mushroomed in the first place,” the civic body said in a statement, adding the matter warranted a detailed inquiry.
MCD officials said that in unauthorised colonies, building plans are not sanctioned and property owners continue to add floors without any concern for structural load or public safety. The building that collapsed was said to be old and structurally weak. The civic body said that it would pull down a property adjoining the collapsed building that had already been marked for demolition to avoid further risks. In response to the allegations of a breach of norms that came to the fore following the building collapse, the civic body kickstarted a survey to identify and seal similarly dangerous structures in the area. So far, 15 properties have been identified for action.
The civic body has also initiated disciplinary measures against its staff found guilty of negligence. Officials said that a junior engineer, who was posted in the area between March 2019 and August 2021 and faced multiple disciplinary proceedings earlier, has been removed from service.
Action, including dismissal or compulsory retirement, has been taken against three more officials, they said. Another junior engineer, posted in the area since November 28, 2024, has been transferred to another department to enable a fair probe. A show-cause notice has been served to him.
The MCD stressed that the survey will continue in Nehru Vihar and similar densely populated neighbourhoods to identify buildings with five or more floors, whose structural integrity remains doubtful.
