States are asked by the Supreme Court to report on their efforts to combat illegal buildings.

In response to the recent Satya Niketan building collapse in Delhi, which resulted in seven fatalities and twelve injuries, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered authorities nationwide to submit affidavits detailing the actions taken to adhere to its previous directives on unlawful structures.

A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan agreed with amicus curiae Ajit Kumar Sinha’s proposal to mandate that authorities submit reports to the highest court detailing their compliance with its previous directives. The “tragic incident” at Satya Niketan in the Motibagh neighbourhood of the national capital, where a building collapse claimed seven lives and injured twelve more, was brought to the attention of the top court by the amicus curiae, which led to the matter’s listing.

The Delhi High Court ordered the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to submit a report on September 7 while addressing a public interest litigation (PIL) pertaining to the Satya Niketan incident. The matter was scheduled for further hearing on September 25, according to information provided to the Justice Amanullah-led Bench. The High Court procedures could continue, according to the amicus curiae, and the authorities should deliver a report to the Supreme Court addressing the problems brought up in the current proceedings.

The amicus also stated that the places covered by the Supreme Court’s previous directives—Lajpat Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Saket and Sarojini Nagar in Delhi, and Aliganj in Lucknow—had already undergone inspections. The top court was also informed that the action being taken and the reports to be given by the authorities in the current proceedings already addressed the issues resulting from the Satya Niketan disaster.

The amicus curiae recommended that the Supreme Court either clarify that the Delhi High Court proceedings may continue while instructing the authorities to additionally submit a report to the top court on all issues raised in the ongoing matter, or transfer the Delhi High Court proceedings and tag them with the current case.

The bench accepted the recommendation and said that it would “for the present, do not disturb the position of the case before the High Court” going forward. “The High Court is requested to monitor the (PIL) case at short intervals,” the top court said.

The Supreme Court scheduled a hearing for September 15 at 2 p.m. regarding compliance with its directives on illegal constructions, requiring affidavits from involved parties beyond Delhi and Lucknow. This follows the Court’s investigation into unauthorized constructions and ineffective actions by civic authorities against them.

An expert committee from IIT Delhi was established to inspect various areas alongside MCD officials. The Court emphasized that just issuing notices is inadequate; authorities must take decisive action, including demolitions. These proceedings are particularly relevant after the Satya Niketan tragedy, which raised concerns about structural safety and compliance with building regulations. The Delhi High Court highlighted shared accountability among PG hostel owners, university authorities, and MCD for such incidents, leading to an inquiry and the suspension of five MCD officials over construction violations.