Audit all paying visitor (PG) lodging and hostels inside one week, the Delhi Excessive Courtroom on Monday directed the Municipal Company of Delhi after a five-storey constructing crashed down over the weekend in northwest Delhi’s Satya Niketan. Seven individuals had been killed within the tragedy.
The decades-old constructing, often called ‘Hostel Daze’, housed a boys’ PG. It collapsed throughout restore work on Sunday. Satya Niketan, a neighbourhood close to the College of Delhi’s South Campus, is house to a whole lot of college college students dwelling in crowded lodging.
The courtroom directed that the inquiry into the collapsed constructing ought to particularly look at whether or not all requisite permissions had been obtained, establish officers answerable for any lapse or failure on the a part of the authorities and specify the motion proposed or taken towards these discovered accountable.
Reporter’s Diary: How Unsafe Hostels Are Turning Into Student Death Traps
The instructions got here amid concerns over the safety of students residing in private hostels, significantly in areas round Delhi College, the place numerous outstation college students depend upon such services because of restricted hostel lodging.
The inspection will look at whether or not such premises are being operated in accordance with requisite permissions and relevant constructing bye-laws. The civic physique has additionally been directed to determine the variety of college students residing in every personal hostel.
Rescue and search operations at Satya Niketan after a five-storey constructing collapsed close to South Campus
The courtroom additional sought particulars relating to the existence of a regulatory framework round such personal hostels.
College students vs Hostels in Delhi
There are greater than 7,00,000 college students in Delhi College throughout common, skilled, and open-learning applications. Round 2.5 lakh college students had been registered in tutorial session 2024-25.
Delhi College doesn’t publish any official consolidated determine concerning the variety of hostel rooms for college students.
Experiences say the college has a capability of round 7,000 to eight,000 rooms.
Amongst registered college students, only one in 31 college students get a hostel room.
A 2025 report stated over 30,000 undergraduate college students utilized for hostels, however lower than 10 per cent secured a seat.
The Delhi College has additionally been requested to supply particulars of the variety of outstation college students enrolled with it and the hostel services out there to accommodate them.
Protesters maintain placards studying ‘Authorities ought to pay PG hire till hostels are constructed’ throughout an indication close to South Campus
The courtroom orally expressed concern over the insufficient availability of hostel lodging, observing that many college students are consequently compelled to hunt lodging in personal PGs.
Delhi College Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh has requested school principals to assessment residential services for college students and expedite ongoing hostel tasks following the tragedy.
Video: Moment Delhi Building Came Crashing Down And Turned Into Rubble
Through the listening to, the courtroom additionally raised issues over alleged reckless and unauthorised building by some operators. It orally noticed that buildings permitted for 2 flooring are generally prolonged to a number of further flooring whereas the unique basis stays unchanged, creating critical security dangers.
The courtroom was listening to a public curiosity litigation (PIL) matter regarding the constructing collapse.
It requested the authorities to file their separate replies to the petition inside 10 days and listed the matter for additional listening to on September 25.
Motion Taken By Delhi Civic Physique
On Monday, a day after the tragedy, the Delhi civic physique suspended 5 officers with instant impact.
The suspended officers are: Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (South Zone), Superintending Engineer Ranvir Singh, Government Engineer (Constructing) Lalit Kumar Goel, Assistant Engineer (Constructing) Sunil Chauhan and Junior Engineer (Constructing) Ashish Kumar of the South Zone.
After the constructing collapse, locals complained of a persistent waterlogging downside, alleged unchecked building and “apathy” of constructing homeowners and civic businesses within the space.
The collapsed construction, constructed on round 55 sq. yards, was a Floor+4 constructing in a resettlement colony the place the erstwhile permission was just for a Floor+1 unit and no constructing plan was permitted, in line with MCD officers.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who arrived in Satya Niketan to supervise the second day of search and rescue operations, has ordered sealing of all buildings within the metropolis which have 5 flooring.
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister stated water accumulation within the basement of the Satya Niketan constructing led to the collapse.
Hariram Bansal, proprietor of the Delhi constructing, was arrested from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, following a large multi-state manhunt with 10 groups.
