Mohali DC urges urgent regulations for constructions in Lal Dora areas

Deputy commissioner Aashika Jain has sent a representation to Punjab rural development administrative secretary Dilraj Singh, requesting for a policy concerning Lal Dora constructions.

The tragic death of 12-year-old Ashish Kumar in Mauli Baidwan village, who was struck by a falling iron grille from an under-construction building on Monday, has highlighted the critical lack of building regulations in the Lal Dora areas of Mohali, where no proper safety measures or building bylaws exist, leaving the administration powerless to prevent dangerous constructions.

Despite requests from Mohali administration last year for state-level regulations, no policy has been formed.

Lal Dora is an extension of the village habitation, which can be used by villagers for non-agricultural purposes only, like for keeping livestock. The land revenue department originally marked these areas by tying a red thread as a boundary.

Lal Dora areas, which fall neither under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation nor the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), lack the necessary approvals for construction drawings or safety NOCs, resulting in unchecked high-rise buildings, including paying guest (PG) accommodations and commercial properties.

As such, DC Aashika Jain has urged the Punjab government to frame regulations for Lal Dora areas. The administration has sent teams to inspect ongoing constructions and take action to prevent further risks to residents.

“Since we do not want to take any further risk with the lives of the residents, we have written to the government for making bylaws for these areas and we will accordingly take action regarding constructions in Lal Dora,” the DC said.

The administrative secretary, rural development, will submit a proposal before the state cabinet for approval and framing of rules. “A policy for such constructions will not only ensure safety of residents but will also help generate revenue,” said Sonam Chaudhary, ADC (Rural).

Unchecked mushrooming of PGs, guest houses

Another administrative officer said Mohali and Ludhiana were the only districts in Punjab where PGs, guest houses and other commercial buildings were mushrooming in Lal Dora.

“As people used to construct up to maximum two floors for their residence in Lal Dora areas across Punjab, the state government never felt the need to frame policy for these areas. A few incidents in the past have now highlighted the need to check the constructions in Lal Dora to avoid damage to life and property,” the officer said.

The five-storey building from which the iron grille fell, according to police, will house PG accommodation and is located within the Lal Dora, falling under the panchayat or rural department.

The said area in the Mauli Baidwan village has many high-rise buildings besides under-construction structures having more than six floors, which are being constructed in an unregulated and haphazard manner. These structures house hotels, guest houses and PGs, which are operating unnoticed.

Mohali block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) Dhanwant Singh Randhawa after his visit at the site, a day after the accident, ordered the field officials to halt all ongoing constructions of the high rise buildings for the time being.

Randhawa said he will submit a detailed report to authorities to take appropriate decision pertaining to constructions in Lal Dora area and the administration was also compiling a list of villages where commercial activities were going on.

Meanwhile, Mohali deputy commissioner (DC) has assigned the probe of the accident claiming life of a 12-year-old boy to sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Damandeep Kaur.

The SDM is also carrying out an investigation into the December 21 building collapse in Sohana village, which claimed two lives.

Building contractor held

Mohali police on Tuesday arrested building contractor Jatinder Shah who was later released on bail.

Following the boy’s demise on Monday, Sohana police had booked him under Section 106 (causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The boy, a Bihar native who was currently residing in the said village, was walking through a street when the iron grille fell on him, causing fatal injuries in the chest, shoulder and face. The entire incident was captured in a CCTV camera installed in the street.