The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has intensified its crackdown on dangerous buildings and unauthorised construction across the city, days after the collapse of a five-storey paying guest (PG) building in Satya Niketan killed seven people and injured several students.
According to MCD officials, the civic body carried out 34 demolition actions and sealed 17 properties across all 12 zones on September 9. It also issued 22 show-cause notices and passed four demolition orders for violations of the Master Plan of Delhi and building byelaws.
The action follows 17 demolitions and the sealing of five buildings carried out a day earlier.
The civic body said enforcement against dangerous structures and unauthorised construction would be intensified in the coming days, with several other properties identified for action.
The Satya Niketan collapse, which involved a building being used as student accommodation, has brought renewed scrutiny on the safety of PG buildings and unauthorised multi-storey construction in Delhi.
The MCD has since stepped up inspections of such properties, including structures considered vulnerable because of their height and construction type.
As part of the exercise, the civic body has so far identified around 1,243 buildings where PG facilities are operational, accommodating approximately 24,000 occupants. The survey is intended to create a database and identify buildings requiring further action.
Officials said the MCD is classifying the buildings into four categories: visibly safe; visibly repairable and requiring minor repairs; visibly repairable but requiring major repairs; and visibly vulnerable or dangerous.
Particular attention is being given to buildings with more than five storeys and RCC-framed structures, as well as four-storey buildings with load-bearing brick-wall structures, they said.
The civic body has directed officials to complete the PG survey by September 10 and said appropriate action would be taken wherever structural vulnerabilities, unauthorised construction, property misuse or other safety violations are found.