Supreme Court orders sealing of 16,000 properties in Meerut illegal colonies

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan has issued directives for the sealing of more than 16,000 properties and removal of illegal structures in unauthorised residential settlements near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

The court's intervention follows concerns over widespread unauthorised housing development in the Uldepur area on Meerut's periphery. The bench emphasised the need for swift action against illegal construction activities that have proliferated in the region without proper regulatory oversight.

In a significant move to address the root causes of such unauthorised development, the court has constituted a judicial commission under the chairmanship of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, a former Supreme Court judge. The commission has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive investigation into the nature and status of land where these illegal colonies have come up, examining how such large-scale unauthorised construction could occur.

The directive represents the court's effort to rein in rampant illegal housing developments that often operate outside municipal regulations and land-use frameworks. The judicial commission's findings are expected to inform future preventive measures and enforcement strategies in the region.