The Supreme Court has ordered the sealing of 16,726 illegal structures in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and the demolition of unauthorised constructions. The order targets Zone A of the city, following a government survey.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan passed the order on September 21 while hearing a contempt petition over non-compliance with earlier directives on illegal constructions. "We are shocked and disturbed," the bench said after reviewing the status report.

The survey identified 12,907 residential, 874 residential-cum-non-residential and 2,945 non-residential structures as illegal in Zone A. The court directed occupants to be asked to vacate before the premises are sealed and demolished. It also ordered demolition of 138 properties with unauthorised construction in mandatory setback areas.

The court formed a judicial commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia to inquire into illegal colonies in Uldepur, on Meerut's outskirts. Authorities must now survey the city's three other zones, setting the stage for a wider crackdown.