To uphold the planned urban order of the city, the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) launched a comprehensive sealing drive against illegal constructions in the Rishikesh area on Wednesday. Operating across various localities in the presence of police forces and administrative officials, a joint team sealed eight illegal multi-story buildings. Notices had previously been issued regarding constructions being undertaken without approved building plans and in violation of regulations; however, upon failing to receive satisfactory responses, the MDDA took strict measures and proceeded with the sealing action.
**Commencement at Sanskriti Lok**
The sealing drive began at Sanskriti Lok Colony, Lane No. 6B, Dehradun, where an illegal construction being carried out by Hasan was sealed under the orders of Joint Secretary Pratyush Singh. During the operation, a team comprising Junior Engineers Nishant Kukreti and Jaideep Rana, along with supervisors, remained present at the site.
**Action in Manaviya Nagar**
Subsequently, the MDDA team arrived at Manaviya Nagar, Lane No. 10, Rishikesh, where an illegal construction being undertaken by Krishna was sealed. Officials determined that the construction work was in violation of regulations, following which immediate action was taken on the spot.
**Sealing in Lakadghat**
At Lakadghat Road, Shyampur, Rishikesh, the Authority also took action against an illegal multi-story construction being carried out by Mr. Raturi, sealing the building. Police forces remained deployed in the area throughout the operation.
**Major Action in Nirmal Bagh**
In the Nirmal Bagh, Block-B, Lane No. 11 (Displaced Persons’ Area), the MDDA took strict action against several illegal multi-story constructions in succession. Here, constructions being undertaken by Anuj, Vipin Chaudhary, and Survir Singh Bisht were sealed.
**Separate Action on Two Buildings**
In the same locality, two illegal multi-story constructions being carried out by Sagun Sharma at two distinct locations were sealed through separate enforcement actions. Additionally, the Authority also took action regarding a construction project belonging to Sandeep Chaudhary. The entire operation was executed under the orders of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Rishikesh. The campaign involved a joint team comprising Regional Assistant Engineer Abhishek Bhardwaj, Junior Engineers, and officials from the Authority.
**Illegal Constructions Will Not Be Tolerated: Banshidhar Tiwari**
Banshidhar Tiwari, Vice Chairman of the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), stated that a continuous drive is being conducted against illegal constructions within the MDDA jurisdiction, and similar strict action will continue in the future. He emphasized that constructions undertaken without approved building plans—or in violation of established norms—pose serious threats to safety, traffic management, and urban infrastructure in the long run. He appealed to the public to obtain the necessary permissions from the Authority before commencing any construction work.
**Continuous Monitoring Underway: Mohan Singh Barnia**
MDDA Secretary Mohan Singh Barnia affirmed that continuous monitoring is being carried out across the Authority’s jurisdiction; illegal structures are being identified, and action is being taken against them in accordance with the law. He noted that sealing operations have been initiated against those who failed to provide a satisfactory response despite having been served with notices. He further clarified that strict action will continue to be taken against anyone found disregarding the regulations.
