Delhi identified 55,000 illegal constructions in 6 years, demolished half

By Ankita Tiwari: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in response to questions posed in the Lok Sabha, disclosed the measures taken to address the challenge of illegal construction and encroachments in the National Capital. Over the last six years, various authorities in the national capital have identified more than 55,000 illegal constructions and encroachments.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi identified more than 42,000 unauthorised constructions and encroachments. The New Delhi Municipal Council identified around 140 illegal constructions/encroachments, and a special task force identified more than 11,000 during this period.

The task force was constituted on April 25, 2018, with a specific mandate to oversee the enforcement of the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 and Unified Building Bye-laws for Delhi. It actively identifies and addresses complaints about unauthorised encroachments and illegal constructions.

According to data provided by the Ministry in the Parliament, the number of illegal constructions and encroachments identified in the national capital has declined over the years.

For instance, in 2018, authorities demolished 6,192 structures, which reduced to 4,042 in 2022.

Over the six-year period, nearly 50 per cent of the identified illegal constructions and encroachments were demolished. The MCD demolished around 46 per cent of the illegal construction it identified, and the NDMC around 70 per cent. The special task force demolished around 41 per cent of the illegal constructions it identified.

The responsibility for dealing with illegal construction, including identification surveys and removal, primarily lies with the state/union territory governments. However, a unique approach has been adopted in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The Delhi Development Authority is taking steps to legalise farmhouses and prevent further illegal construction.

The Delhi Development Authority earlier stated that no houses were demolished to beautify the city for the G20 Summit, as confirmed by Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Kaushal Kishore, in a written reply to a question asked by RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar.