Mustafabad building collapse: How unchecked illegal construction in unauthorised colonies is bane of Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Mustafabad building collapse, which claimed 11 lives, exemplifies the ongoing issue of unchecked construction in Delhi's unauthorised colonies and their questionable structural safety.
Approximately 70% of Delhi's residents inhabit rural areas, unauthorised colonies, and resettlement clusters where building plans lack approval.
Experts say that decisive political action to halt illegal construction or expansion, strengthen building regulations, and establish accountability for negligent officials is necessary.
"Since 1977, numerous unauthorised colonies got regularised despite failing to meet the Delhi Master Plan requirements, particularly the mandatory 9-metre road width essential for emergency and fire vehicle access. The current challenge lies in residents' reluctance to approach MCD for building plan approvals, as compliance would necessitate allocating proper road space according to regulations. The regularisation of these settlements should have been contingent upon residents ensuring a minimum 9-metre road width allocation. This problem persists with the unauthorised colonies currently awaiting notification for regularisation," an expert said on the condition on anonymity.
While fulfilling building regulations require structural engineers' involvement, only planned govt colonies and large commercial structures adhere to these standards. "The NoC from a structural engineer is a must before obtaining a completion certificate. But the irony is that the majority of people don't apply for a completion certificate, including those in planned or authorised colonies," said Aditya Sharma, a structural engineer empanelled with MCD.
Experts said that MCD also oversees 1,737 pending regularisation colonies, enabling them to take action when violations are found. "Their assertion about unauthorised colonies lacking building plan sanctions falls short, as they also fail to monitor rampant illegal construction happening in such colonies. In the Mustafabad case, structural modifications were happening, and two ground floor shops were being combined into one at a 20-year-old structure. Ideally, MCD should have acted on time," an expert said.
On Sunday, the civic body acknowledged in its statement that "it is a moot point how such a colony with massive unauthorised construction has mushroomed and, that too, with buildings growing into 5th and 6th floors. It deserves a detailed inquiry. While we don't sanction any building plans in such colonies, owners and violators sometimes construct a building and then keep on adding floor after floor without bothering at all about public safety and load-bearing capacity. We will carry out an intense survey of such buildings and take stringent action as per norms, including sealing of complexes."
BJP spokesperson Parveen Shankar Kapoor urged municipal commissioner Ashwani Kumar to establish dangerous buildings departments across all zones, categorise all five and six-storey buildings as hazardous, and prevent their sale registration. "The dangerous buildings department can focus, work to issue notices, and proceed with the demolition of such structures," he said.
An MCD representative said the limited workforce — one junior engineer for two wards — prevents comprehensive monitoring. "It can be improved only when the building department is strengthened and prosecution is made stringent," he said.
Recently, the urban development department told Delhi assembly that 12 zones of the MCD registered 76,465 cases of illegal constructions in 10 years — from Jan 1, 2015, to March 17, 2025 — but enforcement action was initiated in only 35,842 cases.
Options like digital mapping via satellite could help departments control illegal modifications in unauthorised colonies. "This will help in checking any vertical expansion. Also, people applying for electricity, water, or sewer connections should be asked to link their building plan so that any changes made later can be verified," said Sharma.