Taking serious note of rampant unauthorised constructions in Delhi-NCR and the recent fire incidents in Delhi and Lucknow, the Supreme Court on Thursday warned that it would fix personal responsibility on erring officials.

“We will pass orders and it will pinch a lot of people. We will attach personal responsibility on the officers and will speak in black and white,” a Bench led by Justice A. Amanullah said as it pulled up the civic bodies for their inaction.

“We hoped that the officials would take action, but nothing happened… Only face-saving exercises are being done, where only builders, etc., are being apprehended and not the officials who are in charge of areas where rampant violations have happened. We reiterate the concern of this court as indicated on May 20,” it said, referring to recent incidents of building collapse in Saket and fires in Malviya Nagar here and Lucknow.

Taking strong exception to inaction on the part of civic officials with regard to its May 20 directions for sealing, demolition or other actions under the law against unauthorised structures, the Bench – which also included Justice R Mahadevan—sought personal appearance of officials of municipal corporation of Delhi, Gurugram and Lucknow to explain non-compliance of its directions on the issue.

“We are particularly bothered with regard to the conduct of the MCD...,” the Bench told Additional Solicitor General SD Sanjay who represented the MCD. Sanjay said certain steps have been taken which would be brought on record in detail before the next date of hearing.

The Bench ordered formation of an inspection team comprising two senior professors from IIT Delhi and two draftsmen which will be assisted by MCD officials. It asked the team to inspect Saket, Lajpat Nagar and Sarojini Nagar areas and submit a report. It ordered a similar exercise to be undertaken in Aliganj area of Lucknow. The entire exercise will be coordinated by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, it ordered.

Referring to a media report that nearly 93% of buildings in Gurugram did not have mandatory fire safety measures in place, the Bench summoned the Vice Chairman of the Gurugram Development Authority to appear before it on August 4. It also ordered the Commissioner of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation to appear before it on the next date of hearing.

The order came after senior advocate and amicus curiae Ajit Kumar Sinha pointed out that not much had been done by the municipal authorities concerned since the last order passed by the court on May 20.

Sinha told the Bench that only three states have filed their affidavits but without stipulating the steps taken against violations. He said violations in Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar in the capital presented threat of a calamity.

Expressing serious concern over widespread violations of building regulations and alleged failure of municipal authorities to prevent unauthorised constructions, the Bench had on March 25 ordered a pan-India inquiry into the misuse of residential properties and illegal land-use conversions.