Satya Niketan collapse: Delhi CM orders demolition of unsafe PG

Days after a building collapse in the Satya Niketan area that killed seven people, the Delhi government has ordered the demolition of an adjoining paying guest (PG) accommodation after it was found to be unsafe.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the decision on Tuesday (September 8), saying the building would be demolished in phases after civic authorities assessed it to be structurally weak.

The adjoining building has already been propped up with several iron guardrails across its front, back and centre as a precaution.

Safety concerns

The development has heightened concerns over the safety of buildings in Satya Niketan, a student hub near Delhi University’s South Campus where affordable PG accommodation draws thousands of students. Buildings in the neighbourhood are packed tightly together, raising questions over how closely they are being monitored for structural and fire safety.

Also read: Satya Niketan building collapse: Owner arrested in Rajasthan

A five-storey building housing a boys’ PG collapsed in the area on Sunday (September 6) afternoon, killing seven people and trapping several others, including students and labourers, under the debris. The building, reportedly 40-50 years old and known as Hostel Daze, has since become the focus of a probe into possible safety violations.

The incident has also raised questions over the regulation of PG accommodations in Delhi’s student neighbourhoods, including whether buildings declared dangerous are still being used to house students, whether additional construction or basement excavation was authorised, and whether mandatory structural and fire-safety inspections were carried out.

Students evacuated

For students living in PGs around the collapsed building, the fallout has been immediate.

Several students were evacuated from nearby accommodations and moved temporarily to colleges, including Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College and Sri Venkateswara College. They were provided food and shelter as civic authorities cleared buildings considered unsafe.

For students of Maitreyi College staying in a girls’ PG opposite the collapsed building, the evacuation came late at night. “We were asked to vacate at 12.30 at night. There was panic because we had no choice at that point. It was already so late, and we had nowhere to go,” Geetanjali, a third-year student, told PTI.

Also read: Ground Report | Satya Niketan tragedy: Life in Delhi's PGs, one collapse away from disaster

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has given the owner of their building, property number 13, three days to demolish it after finding it to be in a “ruinous and dangerous condition”.

“They told us to leave for our safety and said they had been asked to vacate the place. They also said there was a possibility that another building might have to be demolished,” another student said.

The evacuation has left students grappling with more than just finding temporary accommodation. Their books, clothes and other essentials remain inside buildings they have been told are unsafe, while they also have to figure out how to attend classes.

Maitreyi College shifted classes to hybrid mode on Monday. “The classes being in hybrid mode made it possible for me to attend today, but my things are still inside. We do not know yet whether we can go back and stay there,” Geetanjali said. Her parents, who live in Bihar, have already asked her to return home if the situation worsens.

Authorities action

The Delhi government has also announced Rs 5 lakh in financial assistance for those injured in the collapse and said it would bear their entire treatment cost. Gupta met the injured at the AIIMS Trauma Centre and handed over cheques to their families.

The MCD has suspended five officials, including a deputy commissioner and four engineering officials, in connection with the collapse.

Also read: 'We've hardly added any hostels in 32 years': Manoj Jha after Satya Niketan collapse

Delhi Police has also arrested the owners of the collapsed property. On Monday, 81-year-old Hariram Gupta, a retired Indian Air Force sergeant, was taken into custody from Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi. His wife, Urmila Gupta, 75, and their son Mahesh Gupta, 52, were also arrested.

Delhi HC refuses urgent hearing

The Delhi High Court has meanwhile ordered a high-level MCD inquiry into the collapse and made it clear that the government cannot evade responsibility.

The issue has also reached the court in another form. On Tuesday, the High Court refused an urgent hearing on a PIL seeking hostel facilities for students in all Delhi University colleges and asked whether such directions could be issued “in the interim”.

A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia questioned why time was being wasted unnecessarily and asked the petitioner to file the matter for auto-listing on Wednesday (September 9).

(With agency inputs)