Satya Niketan building collapse exposes a student hub grappling with housing crisis

Hours after a five-storey building housing a boys’ hostel collapsed in Satya Niketan close to Delhi College’s (DU) South Campus, killing two college students, the highlight has returned to a neighbourhood that has change into one of many Capital’s largest hubs for outstation college students. With its location on Ring Street, direct entry to the South Campus metro station and proximity to a number of DU faculties, Satya Niketan has helped bridge the hole between the variety of college students and inexpensive housing.

Of the seven faculties across the South Campus, Shri Venkateswara Faculty, Jesus and Mary Faculty, Maitri Faculty, ARSD Faculty, Ram Lal Anand Faculty, Motilal Nehru Faculty and Aryabhatta Faculty, solely two have hostel amenities. Shri Venkateswara Faculty has round 175 hostel seats, whereas Maitri Faculty has simply 27, leaving many college students to depend on personal paying visitor (PG) lodging within the neighbourhood.

Many of the colony’s unique residents have moved away, giving method to matchbox-sized flats transformed into PG lodging, not all of which adjust to civic rules. Within the aftermath of the constructing collapse, civic authorities eliminated PG signboards throughout the neighbourhood as a part of an enforcement drive.

Regardless of its crumbling infrastructure, college students pay round ₹13,000 a month for a shared room with three meals a day within the colony’s slim lanes lined with cafés, dhabas, gyms and training centres. By comparability, the annual value of finding out at a DU school ranges from ₹15,000 to ₹80,000, relying on the course and school.

A unique sight

Sunny Gupta, who grew up within the colony, stated 25 years in the past there have been solely a handful of PG lodging and some business institutions.

“It was principally a residential space. As a result of close by faculties and the dearth of hostels on school campuses, residential homes regularly gave method to PG lodging, together with cafés and business institutions. Solely a handful of the unique residents proceed to stay within the space,” he stated.

The constructing collapse, nevertheless, has introduced renewed consideration to how the colony has reworked amid the coed housing disaster.

College students stated that top demand permits PG house owners to pack tenants into cramped rooms with little or no air flow. “PG house owners have a take-it-or-leave-it perspective as a result of they know there may be large demand. They increase costs on a whim as a result of they know no mattress will go empty. In some rooms, the beds are positioned inches aside,” stated Gitika Jha, an outstation scholar.

Based on preliminary studies, development work was beneath manner within the basement of the constructing that collapsed to increase its capability. “Yearly, a brand new batch of scholars involves DU in search of a spot shut to school. They’re new to town, and Satya Niketan lures them with its comfort. Most ladies transfer out of their second 12 months as soon as they know town higher and consider journey time to school,” stated Prachi Goyal, who spent two years in a PG close to the collapsed constructing.