3 min readNew DelhiJul 9, 2026 09:32 PM IST
First published on: Jul 9, 2026 at 09:32 PM IST
Pulling up civic authorities over illegal and unsafe buildings in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Thursday said that “only face-saving exercises are being done” to check the menace.
A bench of Justice A Amanullah and Justice R Mahadevan directed the setting up on a team comprising two senior IIT professors and two draftsmen, along with MCD officials, to assess the extent of unauthorised constructions that have come up in Saket, Lajpat Nagar and Malviya Nagar and submit a report to the court.
Directing officials to be present before it on August 4 — on the next date of hearing — the bench made it clear that there should be “no slackness in giving an honest report”.
Referring to news reports that over 90% of Gurgaon establishments had failed fire safety audit, the court asked the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority vice chairman to appear before it on August 4 and appraise it on what had been done to address the issue.
While hearing the matter related to illegal constructions, the SC had on March 25 taken a serious note of the fact that constructions are frequently undertaken in blatant violation of the applicable norms and regulations, including in prohibited areas and upon completion, and that such lands and buildings are often put to uses other than those for which sanction was originally granted by the competent authority.
The court accordingly asked municipal authorities across the country “to conduct a comprehensive inquiry within their respective jurisdictions to identify areas that are demarcated exclusively for residential use, but are being misused for non-residential purposes by the persons concerned”.
Noting that no effective action has been taken on its directions, the court cautioned on Thursday that it will not hesitate to initiate contempt of court proceedings against those failing to comply with its earlier directions in the matter.
The bench told Additional Solicitor General S D Sanjay, appearing for the MCD that it is “particularly concerned with the conduct of” the corporation “with regard to non-compliance of directions issued… in 2024 and specific directions of May 20, 2026, which were issued as to what was required to be done by the authorities”.
Meanwhile, in a status report submitted through advocate Govind Jee, senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha – appointed by SC to assist it as amicus curiae – slammed the MCD for failing to act on time to stop the construction of the allegedly illegal building that collapsed in Saidulajab on May 30, killing six and injuring 14 others. He also pointed out that a blaze on June 3 at Delhi’s Malviya Nagar and June 22 in Lucknow were not the result of any single failure but several.
The court took on record status report. Sinha has been appointed amicus in regard to recent fires in Delhi, Lucknow and action on unauthorised constructions.
The bench told Additional Solicitor General S D Sanjay, appearing for the MCD that it is “particularly concerned with the conduct of” the corporation “with regard to non-compliance of directions". (File photo) 
Share
