The Municipal Corporation's city-wide survey of under-construction buildings in Ludhiana has revealed that over 250 out of 500 structures are illegal, though officials caution that the verification process is still incomplete. Zone D has the highest number of ongoing construction projects, followed by Zone C, Zone A, and Zone B, according to civic body data.
Survey findings and zone-wise distribution
According to officials, the survey has so far finalised a list of more than 500 under-construction buildings across the four civic zones. Of these, over 250 have been identified as illegal in the latest survey. However, the exact number of violations will only be known after individual case scrutiny is completed. Zone D emerged as the area with the maximum number of under-construction buildings, indicating rapid construction activity in localities under that zone. Zone C recorded the second-highest number, followed by Zone A, while Zone B reported the least.
Verification process underway
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 civic body is physically inspecting each site before categorising the violations. A senior MC official stated, "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."
Previous enforcement and ongoing actions
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 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 initiated after verification. The latest exercise aims to separate buildings that could be regularised through compounding from those involving serious violations that could attract demolition or sealing action.
Continued scrutiny and criticism
The building branch is compiling zone-wise data before preparing the final list of violations. Officials said several properties are 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.
