in Ludhiana’s town planning department has concluded a recent assessment, revealing that a substantial number—at least 159—of the city’s buildings across its four zones are structurally unsound. Consequently, property owners have received official directives to either reinforce or demolish these hazardous constructions.
The latest findings pinpoint Zone D as having the highest concentration of unsafe buildings, with 55 such properties. The old city, represented by Zone A, follows with 48 compromised structures. Zones B and C report 21 and 35 unsafe buildings, respectively. This current count reflects a shift from a 2021 survey, which then showed Zone A with the highest number (64), while Zones B, C, and D had 21, 38, and 33 problematic buildings, respectively.
MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal confirmed that the building branch conducted this city-wide review, prompting the issuance of demolition or repair orders to owners. Many of these precarious buildings are clustered in bustling areas such as Chaura Bazaar, Chauri Sadak, Jawahar Nagar Camp, Daresi, Gill Road, Field Ganj, Lakkar Bazaar, Nadiyan Mohalla, Jawaddi, Model Town Extension, Islam Ganj, Ajit Nagar, Moti Nagar, Amarpura, and Tajpur Road. Notably, locales around Chaura Bazaar and its neighboring markets are particularly dense with these decaying structures.
A significant concern is that many of these at-risk properties are residential and are currently occupied by tenants. These residents often remain in the buildings, despite the clear danger to their safety. Officials note that their options for intervention are often limited to issuing notices, complicated by existing disputes between property owners and their tenants.
The Municipal Corporation has invoked Section 273 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, in serving these notices. Owners have been explicitly warned that they will bear responsibility for any incidents or accidents resulting from the collapse of an unsafe building, particularly as the rainy season approaches. Furthermore, civic authorities are collaborating with the police to ensure these hazardous buildings are vacated, prioritizing the lives of the occupants.
