New Delhi: A day after the building collapse at Satya Niketan, a blame game has emerged among civic authorities, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and political parties over unauthorised construction and the lack of clear redevelopment norms in resettlement colonies.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) attributed the unchecked vertical expansion of buildings in resettlement colonies, including Satya Niketan, to the absence of a clearly defined redevelopment policy. Former officials associated with the DDA, however, maintained that most illegal constructions in these colonies came up after the areas were transferred to the MCD.
MCD points to gaps in redevelopment policy
According to MCD officials, resettlement colonies have not received the same planning provisions available to other residential areas under the Delhi Master Plan (MPD) 2021. In other residential areas, buildings can have a permissible height of up to 17.5 metres, while the planning framework for resettlement colonies has remained more restrictive and less clearly defined.
Officials said the disparity, along with the absence of clear redevelopment provisions, contributed to the growth of unauthorised vertical extensions.
Under mixed-use regulations, paying guest (PG) accommodation and hostels can operate on residential plots where roads meet specified width requirements. However, MCD officials pointed out that in resettlement colonies classified under E, F and G categories, such facilities can operate along roads as narrow as six metres.
The civic body also highlighted the structural vulnerability of many older buildings. Several structures were originally constructed with load-bearing walls rather than columns, making unauthorised alterations or additional floors potentially hazardous, particularly when carried out without structural assessment or professional engineering assistance.
MPD 2021 and MPD 2047 under scrutiny
MCD officials said MPD 2021 does not provide adequate provisions for the redevelopment of resettlement colonies and claimed that the proposed MPD 2047 also lacks sufficiently defined norms.
They said standard building plans had been issued for resettlement colonies, generally allowing ground-floor construction with one room on the first floor. However, according to the officials, these planned configurations have become increasingly uncommon as properties have been expanded vertically over the years without the necessary approvals.
The issue, they added, is not limited to Satya Niketan. Similar patterns of construction are visible in resettlement colonies such as Madanpur Khadar, Mangolpuri and Trilokpuri, where some plots are as small as 25 square yards.
DDA cites redevelopment provision
The DDA rejected the suggestion that the planning framework has no provision for redevelopment of resettlement colonies. It referred to Clause 4.5.4(i)(c) of MPD 2047, which provides for redevelopment of resettlement colonies under plotted housing, including through regeneration schemes.
However, when asked whether surveys had been conducted to determine whether standard building plans were being followed or whether violations had occurred after allotment of plots, the DDA said it had no information on the matter.
The authority clarified that every development or construction activity must have its building plan sanctioned by the concerned local body.
Political parties join the confrontation
The collapse has also become a political issue in Delhi. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav staged a protest at the site on Monday, demanding justice. He alleged that six major building-collapse incidents had occurred during the BJP government’s one-and-a-half-year tenure in Delhi, resulting in 35 deaths.
Yadav accused the Delhi government of failing to learn from previous incidents and alleged negligence on the part of the MCD. He also demanded the resignation of the MCD commissioner.
AAP councillor and Leader of Opposition in the MCD Ankush Narang separately criticised BJP mayor Pravesh Wahi, alleging that adequate preventive measures had not been taken despite earlier incidents. Narang also questioned the absence of the south zone chairman from the Satya Niketan site.
MCD says action already underway
Responding to the criticism, Wahi said the MCD and the Chief Minister were concerned about the safety of Delhi residents. He said senior officials had been suspended following the incident and that work had begun on guidelines for managing old buildings being used for commercial purposes.
Wahi also said the civic body was carrying out demolition and sealing drives, while noting that certain court directions placed restrictions on its actions.
The Satya Niketan collapse has consequently brought renewed attention to the wider problem of ageing buildings, unauthorised structural alterations and the absence of a coordinated redevelopment framework for Delhi’s resettlement colonies. TOI
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