Illegal Construction and 'Map Divination' Are Strangling Our Cities—And the Supreme Court Is Finally Taking Notice
Illegal Construction and 'Map Deviation' Are Strangling Our Cities—And the Supreme Court Is Finally taking notice Imagine a fire raging in a high-rise apartment. The fire brigade arrives within minutes, only to be blocked by illegally parked cars and roadside encroachments. By the time they find a way in, it's too late. This is not a hypothetical disaster—it is a daily reality in cities across India. On a Wednesday night in Kandivali East, Mumbai, illegal parking delayed fire engines responding to a blaze, turning a manageable fire into a terrifying near-catastrophe for over 200 families. Illegal construction and land encroachment have become a systemic crisis, choking Indian cities to death. But a deeper, more insidious practice enables much of this chaos: "map divination"—the systematic manipulation of land records to legitimize unlawful buildings. As courts and authorities wage a war against this mushrooming growth, a recent series of rulings, including a drama...