Delhi govt demolishes 94 buildings, seals 114 in massive crackdown

Since June 1, the Delhi government has demolished 94 buildings and sealed 114 others in a crackdown on illegal constructions. The action, part of a 'zero tolerance' policy, intensified after the Malviya Nagar fire tragedy on June 3.

In an effort to curb building violations and crack down on illegal constructions across the ntional capital, the Delhi government has demolished 94 buildings and sealed 114 others for violations of various bye laws since June 1.

Highlighting Delhi government's 'zero tolerance' policy against illegal constructions, the administration has also assured that strict action will be taken to anyone violating safety regulations. Strict action will be taken against any collusion found between builders and officials.

Action by the Numbers

According to the daily action taken report by the administration, on Saturday, the government has carried out demolitions on 12 properties, and sealed 79 others, the highest since June 1. A total of 33 demolition orders have been issued, and 41 show cause notices have been issued to seal properties since last week.

Ever since the June 3 Malviya Nagar fire tragedy, the government has carried out 63 demolitions of buildings, with the highest number of demolitions carried out on June 3 itself, at 22 buildings razed. Similarly, 97 buildings have been sealed, with 79 buildings sealed on Saturday.

Officials have visited a total of 124 sites, across Delhi's 13 districts, according to the inspection report of the Revenue department. In the South district, which comprises of Malviya Nagar, a total of 30 sites have been visited by officials, with 11 sealed and 19 show cause notices issued. Similarly, officials found no violations in the 2 sites visited in South East District.

Official Response and Future Strategy

Earlier on Saturday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the government is taking strong action against unauthorised construction, encroachments, and violations of fire safety norms. At the same time, efforts are being made to create a long-term system to prevent such illegal activities in the future.

The government is also considering introducing a third-party insurance framework for buildings and public-use establishments, according to a release. The DDA has also strengthened its action against illegal construction and encroachments on its land. In a recent high-level meeting, officials reviewed the existing enforcement system and discussed ways to improve it. The Vice Chairman directed the Building Department to identify buildings with major deviations from approved plans and take strict action. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)