SC panel flags building, master plan violations in S Delhi, seeks action by October 8

The inspections covered areas along National Highway 48, Mahipalpur, Dwarka, Vasant Kunj and Rajokri, among other localities in the vicinity

New Delhi

Mahipalpur, up to NH-48, was among the areas surveyed. (HT Archive)

A series of master-plan and building by-law violations were flagged in guest houses, farmhouses and commercial outlets across south and southwest Delhi by a three-member Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee, which directed civic agencies to take action on violators by October 8 and file a compliance report.

The inspections covered areas along National Highway 48, Mahipalpur, Dwarka, Vasant Kunj and Rajokri, among other localities in the vicinity.

The inspection report dated September 24, a copy of which was accessed by HT, said: “Monitoring committee observed that huge commercial activities are going on all along the Mahipalpur-Vasant Kunj bypass road in violation of MPD-2021 and apparently, the construction is also unauthorised. The said road is a non-notified road and commercial activities are not permitted.”

The committee found guest houses operating in the by-lanes of Mahipalpur village and encroachments on the pavements all along the Abdul Gaffar Khan Marg up to the NH-48 traffic intersection. “Deputy commissioner Najafgarh zone has been directed to conduct a survey of entire Mahipalpur area to identify the misusers and take coercive action,” the committee said in the report.

In the second leg of the inspection, the panel found rampant and unauthorised construction of party venues along NH-48 and in some cases, construction was ongoing despite notices issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). “It was shocking to see that in spite of notice being issued, the construction activity was going on in full swing...Further misuse activities and construction activities were found all along the NH-48. Pandals of permanent nature were found erected and many sheds along the NH-48 are carrying out activities related to sale of furniture etc,” the report said, detailing specific instances of construction.

The monitoring committee also observed the erection of pandals in farmhouses and properties along the Dwarka Expressway.

In Bamnoli village, the panel noticed that warehouses and godowns came up all along the periphery of the village. “New warehouses were also seen under construction and similar activity has been reported from Dhulsiras, Samalkha, Kapashera and Nangli village,” the report said.

An MCD official said commercial activities, warehouses and similar activities are not permitted on agricultural land and the revenue department has been asked to survey these villages.

The report also put under the scanner commercial activities being carried out from residential properties in Dwarka sectors 7, 12, 17 and 18. “During the inspection, many wedding points, party halls, banquet halls were found in Sector 7,” the report said, directing for action after 48 hours of serving notice.

The three-member committee was set up by the Supreme Court in 2006 to identify unauthorised structures in Delhi. The committee, comprising former Election Commission of India advisor KJ Rao, former Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) chairman Bhure Lal, and Major General SP Jhingon (retired), was revived in December 2017, overseeing major sealing drives in Defence Colony, Sunder Nagar, Amar Colony and Lajpat Nagar, among prominent localities.

On August 14, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the monitoring committee had the mandate to act only against commercial properties, not residential ones, thereby restricting its ambit.