Moroccan authorities are ramping up efforts to combat illegal construction in the outskirts of Casablanca, using aerial drone imagery to detect violations and hold local officials accountable.
Governor Mohammed Mhidia of the Casablanca-Settat region has issued new directives instructing local administrators and security officers to act on aerial survey data captured by drones operated by the Urban Agency. The move follows the detection of unauthorized buildings, including event halls and livestock stables, on farmland in the provinces of Berrechid and Mediouna.
The governor’s directives emphasize swift intervention by local officials, ordering them to notify offenders and give them a maximum of ten days to rectify the situation. If the deadline is missed, demolition orders will be enforced under legal procedures. The urgency reflects growing concerns over the increasing number of lawsuits filed against local authorities at the Casablanca Administrative Court over zoning violations.
According to informed sources cited by Hespress, investigations have revealed networks of illicit construction involving local agents who allegedly accumulated illicit wealth by exploiting their powers for personal gain. Some are said to have acted under the dubious protection of internal affairs officials, turning field inspection mandates into profit-driven schemes.
Authorities also discovered unauthorized warehouses in agricultural zones and underground factories producing banned plastic bags.
The drone imagery has reportedly put pressure on several local officials, just as a national evaluation committee — known as the “360 Committee” — begins reviewing administrative promotions. Internal reports may soon lead to dismissals or relocations of implicated officials.
Officials say the drone flights are part of routine urban monitoring efforts aimed at collecting updated geographic data to revise zoning plans and track the expansion of informal settlements.
In one incident, a municipal president in Mediouna province reportedly threatened to shoot down a drone with his licensed hunting rifle if it flew again over areas where unauthorized hangars had been built. The aerial surveys also targeted areas near major infrastructure projects being prepared for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The data collected is being shared with inspection teams from the Interior Ministry, which has conducted surprise visits to several municipalities in recent months.
The government’s push to dismantle illegal housing and relocate residents from slums and unsafe buildings has disrupted the political strategies of several current and former elected officials. Some are reportedly reworking alliances and courting local civil society groups in anticipation of the 2026 elections, fearing the loss of long-standing support bases built on past tolerance of unauthorized construction.
The Interior Ministry recently sent reminders to regional governors about their duty to enforce zoning regulations under Law 66.12. The memo cited delays in required coordination meetings with architects and local administrators, stressing the urgency of stepping up field monitoring and demolition of unlawful structures.
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