More than 5,000 illegal structures have come up within the 900-metre restricted buffer zone around the Indian Air Force Ammunition Depot in Gurugram over the past five years, exposing widespread building violations in one of the city’s most sensitive areas.
An internal report of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has revealed that illegal residential and commercial construction has proliferated despite restrictions and repeated court directions. The report points to a near-collapse of regulatory enforcement in the defence buffer, even as the authorities have intensified action against unauthorised construction in planned sectors of the city.
The report says illegal paying guest accommodations, cloud kitchens, offices, swimming pools and other commercial establishments are operating in localities such as Sheetla Colony, Dharam Colony, Rajiv Nagar and along Carterpuri Road. Multi-storey buildings of five to seven floors have been constructed without approvals, while developers have allegedly built unauthorised basements and converted open spaces into private parking areas.
The unchecked construction has also created serious safety concerns. Encroachments in the form of balconies, staircases and shop extensions have narrowed internal roads, making it difficult for emergency vehicles to enter several residential pockets. Officials fear that fire tenders may be unable to access these congested areas in the event of a major fire, putting thousands of residents at risk.
The issue has also drawn political attention. Gurugram MLA Mukesh Sharma said the solution lay in bringing these areas under a formal regulatory framework.
“My push to regularise this area and resolve the 900-metre restriction with the defence ministry is precisely to bring these residential pockets under clear building bylaws and planned municipal regulation,” Sharma said.
“Without a formal regulatory framework, thousands of residents who pay local taxes remain deprived of civic amenities, while land mafias exploit the legal vacuum to erect chaotic, unauthorised multi-storey structures. Bringing the area under clear rules is the only permanent way to curtail this rampant construction menace and restore urban order,” he added.
The civic body has begun initiating action. Recently, it sealed an illegal swimming pool operating within the restricted zone. MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said the corporation would intensify enforcement. “We have already transferred the junior engineer concerned of the area and handed over the charge to another officer to ensure strict enforcement. A massive, systematic crackdown will be launched soon across the entire 900-metre radius.”