Delhi orders immediate sealing of illegal buildings above four floors after collapse

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has ordered the immediate sealing of all illegal constructions with more than four floors after a five-storey building collapsed in Satya Niketan, killing six people and injuring many others.

The building, used as paying-guest accommodation, collapsed on Sunday afternoon in a congested lane. Delhi Fire Services, the National Disaster Response Force and police took part in a large rescue operation, while students and local residents also helped in the early stages.

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All illegal constructions with more than four floors will be immediately sealed, and strict action will be taken against the guilty officials, leading to their immediate dismissal.

An MCD report identified the property as P-14 Satya Niketan. It stood on a plot of about 55 square yards and contained a basement and floors from the ground level to the fourth floor. The structure was reportedly built in the 1990s. The report said there was no record of a booking or sealing order and no complaints about work at the property. A senior official said no sanctioned building plan existed and that basement construction had been unauthorised.

The official said changes to the basement of an existing structure could not have been approved because the work was hazardous. "Permission for changes in basement of a standing structure cannot be granted. It is hazardous. It is the failure of the field staff to detect the activity," the official said. Authorities also said a fifth floor was not allowed under floor-area-ratio rules. Police have registered a first information report against owner Hariram Bansal and others, while renovation and construction work carried out before the collapse remains under scrutiny.

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Permission for changes in basement of a standing structure cannot be granted. It is hazardous. It is the failure of the field staff to detect the activity.