An under-construction multi-storey building in Jaipur’s Malviya Nagar was demolished on Sunday after cracks appeared and the structure began tilting, raising an immediate threat to public safety. Officials and residents first noticed the structural damage on Saturday, and the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) ordered the demolition the next day after determining that the partially completed building had become dangerously unstable.
Authorities said the damage emerged during excavation work for the basement, which caused the foundation to weaken and the pillars to shift, resulting in the building leaning to one side. Cranes, earth-moving machines and drilling equipment were deployed to bring the structure down in a controlled manner, with senior JDA officials supervising the operation to prevent any risk to nearby homes, shops and pedestrians.
Footage of the demolition, recorded by bystanders, quickly circulated on social media and reignited concerns about compliance with construction standards in rapidly developing areas. JDA officials stated that the structure violated local building by-laws, citing inadequate setback norms and unauthorised basement construction as primary causes of the collapse risk.
The building’s owners strongly disputed the JDA’s claims. One of them said the structure had been approved by the municipal corporation and that a fee of ₹1.25 lakh had been paid for permissions. He alleged that the demolition was carried out without proper legal or technical review and insisted the plan had been cleared by authorities before construction began.
The building stood on a 90-square-yard plot in Malviya Nagar’s Sector-9 and was nearing completion after roughly five months of work. Co-owner Naresh Manwani said a pit dug for the staircase caused one of the supporting pillars to shift, leading to the tilt. He added that iron stairs were being installed for the basement when the damage was observed.
Police and district officials are now reviewing the approvals and compliance documents to determine whether the demolition was justified and whether negligence or regulatory lapses contributed to the incident.
