Illegal buildings in posh areas to face MCD axe

If you have constructed servants' quarters on top of your house illegally, the MCD will soon be knocking at your door to demolish it. Neelam Pandey reports. Illegal structures

If you have constructed servants' quarters on top of your house illegally, the MCD will soon be knocking at your door to demolish it. And the action will not be limited to just servants' quarters, but all illegal constructions carried out on any of the floors, including the basement of residential buildings.

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The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will soon begin its crackdown in areas such as Defence Colony, Greater Kailash I and South Extension I and II.

Acting tough against illegal constructions, the Central zone of the civic agency is now planning to take action against them starting from next week.

"There are a number of property owners in Defence Colony, Greater Kailash I and South Extension I and II who have carried out illegal constructions inside their homes. Although they are of minor nature, they are illegal construction nevertheless and we will be taking action against them," said a senior MCD official.

Officials said a number of owners residing on second floors created additional rooms, toilet, and kitchen on the rooftop, apart from converting the stilt area into a room, which is illegal.

The civic agency will soon be starting a survey of properties in these colonies to find out what all deviations and illegal construction has been carried out by the property owners.

"We had carried out a massive drive in Govindpuri, wherein illegal floors were sealed and constructions demolished by our squad. We will be taking similar action in all the colonies," added the official.

The survey has already started in South Extension I and II and will be carried out in other colonies too.

"In South Extension, we had taken sealing and demolition action against more than 50 properties acting on court directions. Now, we will be identifying more such properties and take action against them soon," said the official.

Apart from demolition, all MCD zones will start taking action against traders who have not paid conversion charges to the MCD, the last date for which was June 30.

"Conversion charges collected by us are lower this year compared to the last year. We will start a sealing drive in the entire city and a heavy penalty will be imposed on them," said another official.