NEW DELHI: Judging by the slow pace at which the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is going about with the ongoing demolition drive against unauthorised constructions across the Capital, it would take the civic body months if not years to raze the 18,000-odd structures that have been served notices over the past five years.

On the first three days of the drive so far, teams comprising only a handful of labourers managed to demolish around 200 illegal structures, while heavy machinery like earth excavators could be used only at a few places. MCD has been deploying only about a dozen labourers at every demolition site resulting in the slow pace of demolition.

As the action is to be carried out in illegally constructed portions of buildings, only hammers and shovels are being used by labourers to demolish structures. As a result, a demolition team is able to target only one to two structures in a day. At this pace, the civic body is likely to take months to take action against over 18,000 properties earmarked for demolition.

Despite strict instructions from senior MCD officials including Municipal Commissioner A. K. Nigam to hire additional work force and machinery from external sources, the zonal MCD officials do not seem to be in any hurry to intensify the drive. This when they have been provided with sufficient security personnel, including Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans, to tackle any law and order problem.

"Dilly-dallying" tactics

Members of certain residents' welfare associations (RWAs) feel that the civic body was deliberately adopting "dilly-dallying" tactics in the ongoing drive under political pressure from various quarters. Stating that it was a golden opportunity for the MCD to get rid of all illegal constructions in the city and carry out development in a planned manner, they rued that the unholy nexus among politicians, civic body officials and police was solely responsible for Delhi's civic ills. They also demanded severe action against officials and politicians involved in this scam.

Meanwhile, the civic body is also busy preparing a new list of violations in various zones. The list of 18,000 properties against which action is being initiated was prepared between 2001 and 2005. Ironically, the MCD served notices to owners of these buildings, but no action was taken against them. And it is only now after the Delhi High Court's directions that the drive is being carried out in the city.

Notices

The MCD served 2,765 notices in 2001; 4,385 in 2002; 3,749 in 2003; 4,466 in 2004; and 2,934 in 2005. In the notices served this year, West Zone topped the list with 456 unauthorised constructions followed by Karol Bagh 410, Central 377, Shahdara (North) 354, Rohini 296, Civil Lines 273, South 211, Najafgarh 169, Shahdara (South) 148, Sadar Paharganj 124, City 79 and Narela 37.

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