The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has taken action against 1,046 properties across its 12 zones between September 6 and October 10, including sealing 282 properties and demolishing 47 dangerous buildings, after fatal building collapses raised fresh concerns about structural safety in the Capital.
The enforcement drive followed directions from Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta after a five-storey building in South West Delhi’s Satya Niketan collapsed last month, killing seven people. The building was being used as paying guest accommodation for students and was reportedly in a dilapidated condition, with construction work also being carried out in its basement.
According to the Delhi government, the exercise is intended to identify unauthorised construction and buildings that pose a threat to public safety. An official said Gupta had directed the civic body to sustain and accelerate the campaign, with safety and compliance with building regulations as its central objectives.
The action covered all 12 MCD zones. Demolition action against properties was recorded in South Zone, Shahdara North, Rohini, Narela, Civil Lines, Keshavpuram, City-SP Zone, Karol Bagh, Shahdara South, West Zone, Najafgarh and Central Zone. The reported figures were highest in Rohini, with action against 158 properties, followed by South Zone with 121 and Shahdara North with 115.
The MCD also sealed properties in several zones. City-SP Zone recorded 87 sealings, while Shahdara North and Shahdara South recorded 41 each. Further sealing action was reported in Keshavpuram, Central, Karol Bagh, Civil Lines, Najafgarh, Rohini, Narela and West Zone.
As part of the action specifically targeting hazardous structures, 13 dangerous buildings were demolished in Karol Bagh. Civil Lines, City-SP Zone and West Zone recorded eight demolitions each. Narela, Rohini, Keshavpuram and South Zone recorded two each, while Shahdara South and Najafgarh recorded one each. No demolition of dangerous buildings was recorded in Shahdara North or Central Zone during the period.
The enforcement action also extended to Seemapuri, where a recent building collapse killed at least four people. One unsafe building was demolished there, while the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board issued notices to three other houses in the area.
The figures indicate the scale of the civic body’s response following the recent collapses, but the government’s stated objective extends beyond action against individual properties. The campaign is also aimed at enforcing building regulations, identifying potentially hazardous structures and reducing the risk of further accidents in densely occupied parts of the city.
The Chief Minister has directed the MCD to continue and accelerate the campaign. Further inspections, notices, sealing action and demolitions will form part of the ongoing exercise, according to the Delhi government.
