Kanpur: The Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) on Saturday sealed a four-storey apartment in Naveen Nagar’s M Block under Kakadev after its basement caved in following heavy rain, causing the building to tilt to one side.According to the KDA, prima facie evidence suggests that illegal construction work was being carried out in the apartment. The authority has initiated an inquiry to determine whether the building is safe for residents.Technical inspection reports have been sought from the Harcourt Butler Technical University and Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation. The final decision on whether the apartment can be occupied will be taken after the findings of the three agencies are examined.During the season’s first monsoon rain on Friday, the basement floor of the apartment suddenly caved in, causing one of its walls to collapse and the structure to tilt.Alarmed by the incident, residents evacuated their flats. They alleged that the builder had carried out illegal excavation in the basement. A KDA team inspected the site, pasted a notice at the entrance and sealed the apartment.KDA secretary Abhay Kumar Pandey said show-cause notices have been issued to builders Ashok Mehra and Bharat Bhatia. According to the notice, illegal construction activities were underway despite an earlier stop-work notice issued on September 24, 2025. The authority alleged that construction continued secretly at night. The building has now been sealed and placed under the supervision of Kakadev police.The sealing has affected residents of 13 flats. While some families have shifted to rented accommodation, others have moved in with relatives. Classes for visually impaired children conducted in the apartment have also remained suspended for the past two days.Residents said they are now afraid to enter the building. They also alleged that complaints regarding irregularities in the apartment had been made since 2024 but were ignored. Deepti, who lives in the building, claimed the KDA failed to act on repeated complaints, resulting in Friday’s basement collapse.
