The Municipal Corporation’s city-wide survey of under-construction buildings has found that Zone D has the highest number of ongoing construction projects, followed by Zone C, Zone A and Zone B. However, civic officials said the exercise was still underway and the exact number of illegal buildings would be known only after scrutiny of individual cases is completed.
According to officials, the survey has so far finalised the list of more than 500 under-construction buildings across the four civic zones. Official sources claimed that of the 500 under-construction structures, over 250 had been identified as illegal in the latest survey conducted across the city. Additionally, the officials are rechecking facts and paperwork of the structures to ascertain the exact number of violations.
The next stage involves verifying whether these buildings have approved plans, are being constructed as per sanctioned maps, have major deviations, are eligible for compounding or have been raised without any permission. The final list of illegal buildings is expected only after the verification process is completed.
Officials said Zone D had emerged as the area with the maximum number of under-construction buildings, indicating rapid construction activity in localities falling under the zone. Zone C recorded the second-highest number of under-construction buildings, followed by Zone A, while Zone B reported the least. The civic body is now physically inspecting each site before categorising the violations.
The survey follows an earlier enforcement exercise in which the MC had identified over 300 unauthorised buildings across the city a few months ago. That survey had found buildings constructed without approved plans, commercial structures coming up in residential areas and projects with major deviations from sanctioned maps. Officials had then stated that notices would be issued and action would be initiated after verification.
Sources in the civic body said the latest exercise was aimed at separating buildings that could be regularised through the compounding process from those involving serious violations that could attract demolition or sealing action. Buildings where construction does not match the sanctioned plan are also being examined separately.
The building branch is compiling zone-wise data before preparing the final list of violations. Officials said several properties were still under scrutiny and the status of many buildings will be decided only after checking approved building plans, change-of-land-use permissions and other records.
The survey comes amid continued criticism over illegal constructions in the city. In recent months, the Municipal Corporation has carried out demolition and sealing drives against unauthorised commercial buildings in different parts of Ludhiana, particularly in Zone D, while maintaining that enforcement action would continue against violators.
A senior MC official said the verification process was still in progress. “At present, only the number of under-construction buildings had been finalised. The categorisation of illegal buildings, compoundable cases and structures with deviations from sanctioned plans is being carried out. The final figures will be available after the scrutiny is completed,” the official said.
