After Saidulajab collapse, CM orders citywide audit of illegal buildings

The directions were issued after a five-storey building collapsed near Saket on May 30, killing five young professionals and the owner of a neighbouring canteen

In the wake of the building collapse in south Delhi’s Saidulajab that claimed six lives, chief minister Rekha Gupta has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to undertake a citywide audit of unauthorised constructions and buildings found to be in violation of prescribed norms, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

A view of the site where a four-storey building collapsed in Saidulajab in New Delhi on Saturday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Gupta has asked MCD commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar to submit a detailed report on illegal constructions, particularly unauthorised additional floors, identified across residential, commercial and market areas, along with details of the action taken against them, officials said.

The directions were issued after a five-storey building collapsed near Saket on May 30, killing five young professionals and the owner of a neighbouring canteen.

“Following the incident, the chief minister has instructed the MCD to carry out a comprehensive audit of unauthorised constructions across Delhi and submit a detailed report on violations identified in the past and the action taken against them. She has also directed that responsibility be fixed wherever lapses are found,” a senior government official said, requesting anonymity.

During her visit to the site on May 31, Gupta ordered a magisterial inquiry headed by the south Delhi district magistrate to determine the cause of the collapse and identify those responsible. She also directed the departments concerned to investigate possible construction irregularities, safety norm violations and administrative lapses.

Officials said the chief minister has sought an immediate survey of dilapidated, unsafe and illegal buildings in Saidulajab and adjoining areas. The MCD is expected to issue notices to owners of buildings found in violation of norms after the audit, following which further action, including sealing, may be initiated in accordance with applicable rules.