In the aftermath of the Satya Niketan PG collapse that claimed 7 lives, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has intensified its crackdown on dangerous buildings, unauthorised constructions and violations of building regulations across the national capital. As part of the enforcement exercise conducted on Wednesday, the civic body carried out 34 demolitions across all 12 zones, besides sealing 17 properties, issuing 22 show-cause notices and passing four demolition orders.
The action comes amid renewed scrutiny of the safety of PG accommodations and other buildings in the city following the Satya Niketan building collapse on September 6, which highlighted concerns over structurally unsafe buildings and possible violations of construction and building norms.
The MCD had also undertaken enforcement action on Tuesday, during which 17 properties were demolished and five others sealed for violations of the Master Plan of Delhi and Building Bye-Laws.
Bulldozer action in these areas
During Wednesday’s drive, demolition action was carried out at Property No. 1412, Gali Gondni Wali, Kucha Chelan, Jama Masjid. Two panels of the ground-floor roof and one partition wall were demolished with the assistance of personnel from Jama Masjid Police Station.
Action was also taken at Property No. 3881, Sadak Prem Narain, Bazar Sitaram, where unauthorised construction was found.
The civic body also targeted properties declared dangerous in Vikas Nagar and Sector 17, Dwarka, as part of its ongoing effort to address structurally unsafe buildings.
At Rana Pratap Bagh, MCD teams demolished four panels of the RCC roof slab at the third floor and one panel at the first floor. The reinforcement was cut using a gas cutter, while brick walls on the second floor were also demolished.
Similarly, at Sardar Nagar, Model Town, three RCC slab panels were demolished and their reinforcement was cut with the assistance of a gas cutter.
The MCD said its enforcement campaign against unauthorised construction, misuse of properties and dangerous structures would be intensified further in the coming days. The civic body said several other properties have already been identified for major enforcement action.
Survey underway of PGs across Delhi
The civic body has also launched a comprehensive field survey of PG buildings across the city. The exercise is intended to create a detailed database of such properties and determine further action based on their structural condition and compliance with applicable rules.
So far, approximately 1,252 buildings where PG facilities are operating, with an estimated 24,000 occupants have been identified.
MCD is giving particular attention to vulnerable buildings, including those with more than five storeys and RCC-framed structures, as well as buildings with four storeys and load-bearing brick-wall structures.
Based on field inspections, the buildings are being classified into four categories: visibly safe, visibly repairable - needs minor repairs; visibly repairable - needs major repairs; and visibly vulnerable/dangerous
The survey is currently underway across Delhi, with directions to complete the exercise by Thursday, September 10.
The MCD said it is closely monitoring the buildings identified during the survey and will take appropriate action wherever violations, structural vulnerabilities, unauthorised construction or other safety concerns are detected.
The intensified enforcement comes as the civic body faces increased pressure to identify and address potentially unsafe structures before they result in further loss of life, particularly in densely populated areas and buildings being used as PG accommodations.
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