South Delhi civic body seals 15 farmhouses in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj

The officials said the building owners were served prior notices and the action was initiated after they failed to give a satisfactory reply.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), on the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee’s directions, on Tuesday carried out a mega sealing drive against farmhouses in upscale Vasant Kunj for illegal construction and misuse of property.

Policemen and MCD officials seen inside a farm house during South Delhi Municipal Corporation sealing drive, at Vasant Kunj, in New Delhi.(Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Revenue department officials said 15 farmhouses were sealed in the last two days. As many as seven large farmhouses were sealed on Monday and eight on Tuesday.

The officials said the building owners were served prior notices and the action was initiated after they failed to give a satisfactory reply.

The sealing drive was conducted in the presence of monitoring committee members, SDMC and revenue department officials and police.

The sealing began around 11.30 am in Green Avenue and Spring Lane and continued till evening. At some places, residents opposed the enforcement team.

A member of the monitoring committee, who wished not to be named, said the sealed farmhouses were either constructed illegally or violated norms by misusing the property.

“No construction is allowed on agricultural land but these farmhouses were constructed on farm land. Some were used for commercial purposes, which is again illegal. We got a complaint and directed SDMC to take sealing action against such properties,” he said.

Monitoring committee chairperson Bhure Lal said some of the sealed farmhouses were used for destination weddings.

The committee resealed a property in Green Avenue on Tuesday as the occupants illegally made a makeshift arrangement to use the premises. The property was sealed three to four months ago for violating norms and again on Tuesday.

Revenue department officials said a first information report would be registered against the violators.

Earlier this year, the monitoring committee had received complaints regarding “large-scale” unauthorised construction in Green Avenue, Pocket D-3, of Vasant Kunj and was requested to take action.

Mitali Goel, SDM of Mehrauli, said none of the constructions had any sanction plan or approval from SDMC.

“These farmhouses were constructed on agricultural terrain. One cannot build palatial houses on agricultural land. We targeted farmhouses that were constructed illegally in the last 1-2 years. As many as 15 farmhouses were sealed in the two-day drive,” Goel said.

Occupants of the properties said no prior notices were served to them. “This sealing drive is wrong as no notices were issued to us regarding the action,” said a resident of a farmhouse, which was sealed in Spring Lane of Vasant Kunj on Tuesday, requesting anonymity.