New Delhi: A day after parts of a building collapsed in Harsh Vihar, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said Monday that no permission had been obtained for construction work in the building and that it received no complaints about its structure being weak. The civic body claimed it could not detect the construction activity, saying it was being carried out at the rear of the building and was not visible from outside.The incident raises questions about the effectiveness of MCD’s monitoring and enforcement mechanisms at a time when it claims to be conducting intensive drives across all its zones to check illegal construction following a series of building collapses in the city this year that have collectively killed over 20 people.According to an office order issued by the deputy commissioner of MCD’s outer north zone Monday evening, junior engineer Vikas Kumar Gupta was placed under immediate suspension and disciplinary proceeding against him is being contemplated.Regarding the collapse, MCD said, “We had no prior information about the construction work. No building material had been stacked outside the premises and the structure was not dangerous, though it appeared unfit to bear additional load.”According to the civic body, its staff reached the spot within half an hour of receiving the call of the collapse. They found the property to be around 25 years old, comprising a ground floor with a reinforced cement concrete (RCC) slab and a first floor with a T-iron and stone slab.The owner was carrying out work to construct an RCC roof over the rear portion of the first floor after removing the existing stone slab and iron pillars resting on the walls. “The rear part of the first-floor structure reportedly fell onto the roof of the ground floor. The ground-floor roof also crumbled, resulting in the collapse of a part of the building. However, the front portion remained unaffected,” MCD said.Three gates, including the main entrance, provided access to the rear portion of the property but were closed when the incident occurred. Rescue operations could begin after all three gates were broken open.MCD officials said that no complaint regarding the construction work had been received at the civic body’s office.AAP councillor and MCD’s leader of opposition Ankush Narang targeted the BJP-governed civic body, alleging administrative negligence. Demanding accountability, he said, “The incident is tragic and raises serious questions about the functioning of MCD. Delhi govt and MCD must answer this: Who will take responsibility for these two deaths? AAP demands a fair investigation, strict action against the guilty, and accountability from those who provide protection to illegal construction. ”Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav said, “There have already been seven major incidents of building collapse in 2026, yet Delhi govt and its officials remain asleep at the wheel.”Mayor Pravesh Wahi said the matter was discussed with the MCD commissioner and deputy commissioner. “While we will take stern action, people are requested to learn from such incidents and avoid haphazard construction. In this case, even the neighbours were unaware that construction was going on,” he said.Sources in MCD indicated that fixing responsibility on the owner of a building breaking norms is being explored.The area in Harsh Vihar falls within unauthorised colonies mapped and designated under PM-UDAY. While regularisation is permissible on an ‘as is, where is’ basis for eligible construction existing up to April 6, fresh construction in existing complexes is not allowed under applicable provisions.
