The Municipal Corporation of Delhi launched a demolition drive against unauthorised structures in Laxmi Nagar and Pandav Nagar on Wednesday, days after a building collapse in Satya Niketan killed seven people and injured several others.
The action followed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s direction to the civic body to take strict measures against illegal construction across Delhi. The chief minister also instructed senior MCD officials to remain present during demolition exercises and ordered inspections of paying guest hostels across the capital.
An MCD official said the property being demolished in the east Delhi operation had already been booked for unauthorised construction. According to the official, the approved plan provided for a ground floor and four upper floors, but an additional portion had been constructed on top of the permitted structure.
“This property is booked under ‘unauthorised construction’. We are initiating demolition action against it,” the official said. The officer added that the building had been served a notice and that one or two other properties in the area could also face action because they had been booked for construction violations.
The official said the MCD could take similar action against other buildings where unauthorised construction had already been recorded. The report did not specify the total number of properties scheduled for demolition or provide details of the notices issued in each case.
The operation drew allegations of selective enforcement from residents in Laxmi Nagar and Pandav Nagar. Some residents claimed that several multi-storey buildings had allegedly been constructed in violation of norms but had not faced comparable action. These allegations were not independently established in the report.
Resident Ronit Sohan alleged that poorer residents were being affected by demolition drives while other structures continued to operate. He also alleged that builders and civic officials were involved in corruption and that residents had been asked for money when they approached authorities with complaints. The report did not include a response from the officials named in those allegations.
Another resident, Sunita, alleged that unauthorised construction was widespread but that enforcement was concentrated on selected properties. “Everybody is doing illegal construction, but action is only taken against us,” she said, according to the report.
The demolition drive is part of a wider crackdown announced after the Satya Niketan building collapse. The chief minister directed the MCD to act against illegal construction in several parts of Delhi and ordered intensive inspections of all paying guest hostels. Officials were instructed to take action against unauthorised construction found on those premises.
The Chief Minister’s Office said the directions were aimed at addressing unsafe and unauthorised structures across the capital. The next steps include continued field inspections, demolition action against properties already booked for violations and checks of PG hostels across Delhi.
