Supreme Court Orders Survey of Delhi’s Malviya Nagar and Saket to Check Illegal Constructions

• Survey to cover unauthorized constructions in Malviya Nagar and Saket.
• IIT Delhi experts, MCD officials, and Amicus representative to join survey team.
• Court seeks action against officials responsible for building violations.

Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered a detailed survey of Delhi’s Malviya Nagar and Saket to identify unauthorized constructions and illegal commercial use of residential properties. The direction was issued on Thursday during the hearing of a case related to building violations. The Court said the survey is necessary to ensure that municipal authorities take effective action and that building regulations are enforced fairly across the affected areas.

A bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan directed that the survey be carried out by a team consisting of two senior professors from IIT Delhi, officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and a representative of the Amicus Curiae. The Court instructed the team to submit a comprehensive report and stressed that there should be no negligence or delay in the process.

During the hearing, the bench also referred to a media report claiming that nearly 93% of establishments in Gurugram lack adequate fire safety measures. The Court directed the Vice Chairman of the Gurugram Development Authority to appear personally before the next hearing with a detailed report on the steps taken to improve compliance.

The Supreme Court expressed concern that authorities often take action only against builders and property owners while failing to hold government officials accountable for allowing violations to continue. It directed the concerned authorities to file affidavits detailing disciplinary or administrative action taken against officials responsible for areas where unauthorized constructions have been found.

The Court also reiterated its earlier observation that once a building plan is approved for a specific purpose, changing its use without permission amounts to a misuse of the approval process and cannot be justified under planning regulations.

The order is expected to increase scrutiny of unauthorized constructions in Delhi and may lead to stricter enforcement of building and land-use rules. Property owners, developers, and commercial establishments operating from residential buildings could face inspections if violations are identified.

The Court’s directions also signal a broader push for accountability, with civic bodies likely to face greater pressure to act against both illegal developments and officials who fail to enforce the law.

The case has been scheduled for its next hearing, where the survey findings will be reviewed. The Vice Chairman of the Gurugram Development Authority and the Commissioner of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation have also been directed to appear before the Court with detailed reports on the action taken in their respective jurisdictions.

The matter is part of a larger nationwide case that the Supreme Court expanded in March 2026, requiring municipal authorities from all state and Union Territory capitals to report on unauthorized constructions and illegal land-use violations.

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