The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Sunday said it has framed a standard operating procedure (SOP) for flying squad teams and quick response teams (QRTs) to secure DDA and government land and prevent unauthorised constructions and encroachments. The SOP mandates demolition, wherever required, within 72 hours of detection.
According to a DDA statement, the SOP was finalised at a meeting of the advisory council chaired by Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who directed that a strict zero-tolerance approach be adopted towards unauthorised constructions.
“The SOP has been designed to facilitate early detection of unauthorised constructions and encroachments, enable prompt demolition and removal action in accordance with applicable legal provisions, and ensure better protection of DDA-owned land. It also provides that ongoing unauthorised construction on private land falling within development areas shall be demolished after following due process of law,” the statement said.
The DDA said 14 dedicated flying squad teams have been constituted to carry out systematic field inspections to identify unauthorised constructions and encroachments at an early stage. The teams will determine land ownership and status, document violations through geo-tagged photographs with date and time stamps, and submit reports for immediate enforcement action. “Wherever required, demolition shall be carried out within 72 hours of detection by the flying squad,” the statement added.
The framework integrates field verification with the Vacant Land Monitoring System (VLMS), enabling regular updating of land records, verification of vacant plots after demolition, and continuous monitoring to prevent re-encroachment.
Four QRTs will undertake demolition and removal operations upon identification of violations and completion of the requisite legal procedures. The SOP prescribes defined timelines and assigns clear responsibility to field officers to ensure greater administrative accountability and expeditious enforcement, in line with the Lieutenant-Governor’s directions.
The responsibilities of the QRTs include carrying out demolition of unauthorised constructions and encroachments, submitting a demolition report along with geo-tagged before-and-after photographs of the site on the same day, undertaking videography wherever required, and ensuring that a DDA ownership board is installed at the site.
Published – July 13, 2026 12:59 am IST
