India, July 15 -- The Delhi government on Tuesday demolished an unauthorised shrine that had come up on government land in the middle of a road, removing a major obstruction to an ongoing road-widening project linking Pitampura and Shalimar Bagh. The action, carried out as part of the government's anti-encroachment campaign, is expected to accelerate work on the project and improve traffic movement along one of northwest Delhi's busy stretches. According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the structure had occupied public land and was hindering the expansion of the road, which is being widened to ease congestion and provide smoother connectivity between the two residential areas. Officials said the removal of the encroachment would enable construction work to proceed without further delays. Also Read - MCD rolls out EduLife 2.0 for schools The government maintained that it has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal occupation of public land, irrespective of the nature of the structure. It said encroachments on roads and government property not only delay infrastructure projects but also inconvenience thousands of daily commuters. The demolition is part of a broader drive launched by the Delhi government against unauthorised construction and encroachments that obstruct public infrastructure and compromise planned urban development. Authorities have intensified inspections and enforcement across the capital in recent weeks, targeting buildings that violate sanctioned plans as well as structures that fail to meet fire safety requirements. Official data released by the government shows that since June 1, authorities have demolished 94 illegally constructed buildings and sealed another 114 properties for violations related to building byelaws and fire safety norms. The enforcement campaign gained momentum following the June 3 fire incident in Malviya Nagar, after which stricter action was initiated across multiple districts. Also Read - CM serves up 'Mayur' Since that incident, 63 illegal buildings have been demolished. The largest demolition exercise took place on June 3, when 22 unauthorised structures were razed in a single day. Authorities also carried out extensive sealing operations, with 97 buildings sealed after June 3, including 79 properties on June 7 alone. Officials said inspection teams from the Revenue Department surveyed 124 locations spread across Delhi's 13 districts. Action was initiated wherever violations were identified, with multiple agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and other departments, working together to carry out demolition, sealing and inspection drives. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has repeatedly stated that the government will act firmly against illegal construction, encroachments and violations of fire safety norms while creating a long-term system to curb such practices. The government is also examining the possibility of introducing a third-party insurance framework for buildings and public-use establishments. Under the proposed system, insurance coverage could be linked to compliance with structural and fire safety standards, encouraging property owners to adhere to regulations. Meanwhile, the DDA has strengthened its own enforcement mechanism by directing officials to identify buildings with major deviations from approved plans. It has warned that architects responsible for serious violations could face blacklisting, while Flying Squads and Quick Response Teams have been instructed to step up action in development zones and land-pooling areas to prevent fresh illegal construction.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.