71 demolition drives carried out in south Delhi this year so far: MCD

Civic authorities have carried out 71 demolition drives against "unauthorised properties" in south Delhi this year so far, officials said on Wednesday.

The Municipal corporation of Delhi has also carried out 41 sealing actions in the same time period, they said.

In a statement, the MCD's South Zone said it has conducted a demolition and sealing drive against "unauthorized constructions" in different areas of South Delhi.

"Seventy-one demolition and 41 sealing actions have been taken against unauthorized constructed properties in Said-ul-Azaib, Khirki Extension, Panchsheel Vihar, Chhattarpur, Freedom Fighter Enclave, Panchsheel Vihar, Greater Kailash-1, Greater Kailash-2, Neb Sarai, Malviya Nagar, Mehrauli etc. this year," the statement said.

The field staff of the Building Department of South Zone has been exclusively focused in taking demolition and sealing action against unauthorised construction, it said, adding that the areas were regularly inspected and unauthorised construction by unscrupulous builders were identified.

"These unscrupulous builders carried out unauthorised construction in blatant violations of various laws and luring general public into buying cheaper flats with extra ground coverage.

"Massive demolition actions have been taken by the department with a view to discouraging the unauthorized construction activities by unscrupulous builders," the MCD said in the statement.

The MCD said on some occasions, there was stiff resistance from local residents who tried to create a ruckus and hindrances to thwart the demolition staff from taking actions, but the drive was carried out successfully.

The MCD said it will further intensify the demolition drive. "The drive is aimed at bringing constructions in properties within the parameters of Master Plan-2021 and Unified Building Bye-Laws-2016, which contain the notified regulations applicable for construction activities in the Capital," the statement read.

"These demolition and sealing actions are strong messages against unscrupulous builders to abide by the provisions of DMC Act, 1957, Master Plan-2021 and Unified Building Bye-Laws-2016.

"With these actions, the department will keep persevering in taking such punitive actions with the sole motive to bring the construction activities within the ambit aforesaid Statutes," it added.