New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed authorities in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to take prompt action against 16,726 illegal and unauthorised structures identified in Zone-A, including their sealing and demolition. The Court has also ordered action against remaining illegal constructions across the city and constituted a judicial commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia to investigate illegal residential colonies in Uldepur.
A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan passed the directions while hearing the continuing proceedings concerning unauthorised construction and alleged non-compliance with earlier court orders.
16,726 Structures Identified in Zone-A
Meerut has been divided into four zones — Zone-A, Zone-B, Zone-C and Zone-D — for inspection and survey. In Zone-A, 16 teams identified 16,726 structures as illegal or unauthorised.
These include:
- 12,907 residential structures
- 874 residential-cum-non-residential structures
- 2,945 non-residential structures
The Court directed authorities to first ask occupants to vacate the premises, followed by sealing and demolition. It also ordered that the demolition process continue in other parts of Meerut.
The Court described the extent of unauthorised construction revealed by the status report as serious and directed authorities to act without delay.
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138 Properties With Illegal Setback Construction
The Court also dealt with unauthorised construction in mandatory setback areas.
Of 201 properties earlier identified for removal of illegal construction in setback areas, violations had already been completely removed or demolished from 63 properties. The remaining 138 properties were ordered to be cleared of the unauthorised constructions.
24 More Properties Face Demolition
The proceedings also cover 44 sealed properties where residential properties had been converted for commercial use or unauthorised additions had been made.
The Court was informed that 20 of the 44 properties had already been demolished, with unauthorised commercial activity discontinued. The remaining 24 properties were ordered to be demolished at the earliest.
Among the 44 properties identified earlier were six schools, six hospitals, four banquet halls, three nationalised banks and one NBFC.
The Court’s September 21 order records that 38 of the 44 properties had sanctioned building plans but contained unauthorised additional construction and were being used commercially. Six others had been sold as plots and developed without sanctioned plans or maps.
Justice Dhulia to Probe Uldepur Illegal Colonies
The Court expressed serious concern over hundreds of illegal residential colonies in Uldepur, located on the outskirts of Meerut.
It appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia as Chairperson of a judicial commission to examine how these colonies came up.
The commission will examine whether the land belongs to the government or private individuals, who the lawful owners are, and how transactions took place between landowners and purchasers.
It will also examine why the Meerut Development Authority remained inactive for more than five years and whether the colonies came up through collusion or connivance involving MDA officials. If wrongdoing is established, the commission will identify the officials responsible.
The Uttar Pradesh government will provide administrative and secretarial assistance. The State has also been directed to initially deposit ₹35 lakh with the Supreme Court Registry towards the remuneration of Justice Dhulia and any co-opted members.
Meanwhile, authorities have been ordered to demolish every illegal structure in Uldepur and remove the demolition debris on a daily basis.
Court Warns Officers Over Safety Risks
The Supreme Court also raised concerns about the condition of some unauthorised structures, noting that certain buildings could be dilapidated and pose a risk to human life.
The Court warned that if an untoward incident results in the loss of innocent lives because prompt demolition action was not taken, the responsible government officer could be held personally liable.
It directed authorities to take prompt action across all four zones.
Commercial Activity in EWS and LIG Properties
The Court also took note of commercial activities being carried out in 486 properties belonging to the EWS and LIG categories, despite these properties being intended for residential purposes.
According to the status report, action had already been taken to stop such commercial activities.
Background of the Meerut Case
The proceedings stem from the Supreme Court’s continuing scrutiny of unauthorised construction in Meerut, particularly the Shastri Nagar scheme and Central Market area.
The litigation began with a dispute over unauthorised commercial construction on a residential plot. The Allahabad High Court had earlier directed demolition and action against responsible officials, after which the matter reached the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has since monitored compliance with its directions concerning illegal construction, unauthorised commercial use and building-plan violations.
In April 2026, the Court had also dealt with violations involving hundreds of properties and made it clear that unauthorised setback constructions could not simply be compounded.
Similar Land-Use Case Before Supreme Court
The article also comes amid another Supreme Court matter, Loganathan v. The State of Tamil Nadu & Ors., concerning enforcement of building bye-laws and land-use restrictions.
In that matter, a separate bench led by Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah has been examining the use of premises for purposes contrary to sanctioned land use or approved building plans. The Court recently directed States to prioritise prevention of commercial activity in areas earmarked exclusively for residential use and ordered immediate sealing of premises being used commercially in violation of sanctioned permissions.
The Meerut matter is listed for further hearing in December, when authorities are expected to place updated status reports before the Supreme Court.
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