It Will Pinch Lot of People: Supreme Court warns of tough action on illegal constructions in Delhi-NCR
The Supreme Court has warned of stringent action over illegal constructions in Delhi-NCR, saying officials will face personal accountability. It has ordered IIT Delhi-led inspections following recent building collapse and fire incidents.
SC warns of tough action on illegal constructions (Img: Dynamite News)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed serious concern over the growing number of illegal constructions in Delhi-NCR, warning that civic officials could face personal accountability for failing to act against violations.
The court also ordered an IIT Delhi-led inspection of key areas after a series of fatal building collapses and fire incidents.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Sheel Nagu criticised authorities for inaction despite previous court directions. Referring to incidents such as the Saket building collapse, the Malviya Nagar fire and the Lucknow fire tragedy, the bench observed that officials had failed to prevent unsafe constructions.
The court said earlier identified structures were "inherently unsafe" as they were carrying loads beyond their design capacity.
IIT Team to Inspect Key Areas
To assess ground realities, the apex court directed the formation of an inspection team comprising two senior IIT Delhi professors, two draftsmen and MCD officials. The team will inspect Malviya Nagar, Saket and Lajpat Nagar in Delhi, while a similar inspection will be carried out in Lucknow's Aliganj area.
The Supreme Court also summoned the Vice Chairman of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority over reports claiming that 93% of establishments failed fire safety audits. The Commissioner of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation has also been directed to appear before the court.
The bench warned that authorities submitting only "face-saving" reports would not be spared, adding that action could also be initiated against municipalities that failed to file compliance reports. It further sought details from the Tamil Nadu government on steps taken against illegal constructions in the state.
