Supreme Court Panel Surveys Illegal Construction Sites in Lucknow
A six-member team appointed by the Supreme Court as amicus curiae, accompanied by an IIT Delhi professor, surveyed illegal construction and plotting sites in Lucknow on Saturday. The inspection covered Aliganj, Gomti Nagar Extension and Wellness City.
The team first visited Aliganj Sector-D, where an illegal commercial building on a residential plot was gutted in a June 22 fire that killed 15 people and injured nine, according to Hindustan Times. It checked the site and reviewed the demolition and sealing action taken by the Lucknow Development Authority.
In Short
- The Supreme Court-appointed team inspected sites in Aliganj, Gomti Nagar Extension and Wellness City.
- In Aliganj, it reviewed the demolished building linked to the June 22 fire and checked LDA sealing and demolition action.
- LDA had informed the court about 51 commercial buildings in Aliganj built on residential land.
- The team will submit its survey report to the Supreme Court.
What the team inspected
Amar Ujala reported that the team verified buildings in Aliganj that were built contrary to approved land use, along with action taken against them. It then visited Saraswan behind the police headquarters in Gomti Nagar Extension and Wellness City, where it surveyed demolished illegal construction and plotting.
The inspection followed the Supreme Court proceedings in the Loknathan versus Tamil Nadu state government matter, during which the court sought information from officials about illegal construction in Lucknow and other metropolitan areas. The Aliganj fire brought particular scrutiny to commercial activity on residential plots.
What happens next
The panel is expected to place its findings before the Supreme Court. The report will record what the team saw on the ground and the status of action by the development authority. That makes the survey a review of enforcement as well as a site inspection.
Lucknow has already seen court attention on the Aliganj fire and demolition dispute in an earlier Aliganj fire-tragedy case. The survey also arrives as questions about development-authority construction near the Gomti continue, including the LDA Lucknow Haat construction issue.
Why it matters
A court-monitored survey gives the Supreme Court a direct account of conditions at disputed sites rather than relying only on departmental filings. For residents, the central questions are whether land-use rules were followed, whether unsafe structures were acted on, and whether demolition and sealing records match what is visible on the ground.
