Highest in a decade: CMDA sealed 43 unauthorised buildings in 2019

The planning authority will take action against the sealed buildings if the structures violate its approved building plan or is built without approved building plans. Except for the structures that are three-storeyed or lesser, all the other buildings including special ones, need to get their building plans approved by the CMDA.

The Greater Chennai Corporation issues planning permission for buildings that are up to three-storeyed.

According to data from CMDA, 208 buildings were locked and sealed between 2009 and 2019 October. But, in 2019, the planning authority sealed 43 buildings, which is the highest within the decade. At 27, the second highest number of buildings were sealed in 2013.

“The maximum number of buildings were sealed in June and July. We sealed 18 buildings in June and 19 in July,” an official said.

He added that the buildings were sealed only after issuing prior lock and seal notices and that the owners were free to approach the housing department to remove the seals.

The planning authority has also identified 194 buildings with violations. “The housing department may direct us to remove the seal if the building owners rectify the violations within the stipulated period,” the official added.

Greater Chennai Corporation on Wednesday sealed an unauthorised building in Ambattur following complaints from residents, claimed sources.

A Chennai Corporation engineer said, “The owner of a newly-constructed building in Padi near Ambattur had failed to avail building plan approval from the Chennai Corporation or CMDA. We issued stop-work notice, but the owner refused to discontinue with the construction.”

The engineer added that the three-storey building had shops functioning on the ground floor while the other floorswere unoccupied.

The engineer said that the seal would be removed if the ownerapplies to the housing department for planning permission. “If the building is built in accordance with the rules, it can bereopened,” he said.