Supreme Court orders demolition of 16,726 unauthorised structures in Meerut

The Supreme Court has directed authorities in Meerut to initiate the demolition of 16,726 “unauthorised structures” identified in Zone A, along with other illegal constructions in the city.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan directed authorities to first ask occupants of the identified structures to vacate the premises before sealing and demolishing them.

Of the 16,726 structures, 12,907 are residential, 874 are residential-cum-non-residential, and 2,945 are non-residential.

The court also directed the demolition of 138 properties where unauthorised construction had been carried out in mandatory setback areas. Of 201 properties previously identified, 63 had already been cleared.

The court was also informed that 859 unauthorised structures had been identified, including 44 properties that had been illegally converted for commercial use. These included six schools, six hospitals, four banquet halls, three nationalised banks and one NBFC.

At the September 21 hearing, the court was informed that 20 of the 44 properties had already been demolished. It directed authorities to demolish the remaining 24 at the earliest.

The court also expressed concern over illegal colonies and unauthorised construction in Uldepur and directed authorities to demolish every illegal structure there. It ordered the demolition debris to be removed daily.

The Supreme Court appointed the Justice Dhulia Commission to examine illegal colonies and unauthorised development in Meerut.

In September 2025, parts of Abdullah Residency, a housing project in Meerut, were demolished following allegations that homes were being sold exclusively to Muslims and that a mosque had been constructed inside the complex. The action followed a complaint by then Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Energy Somendra Tomar to the Meerut Development Authority.