The collapse of a paying guest accommodation in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, which killed seven people and injured five others, has raised serious questions about the safety and living conditions of students in the national capital.
Six of those killed and all five injured in the September 6 collapse were students. Many students who come to Delhi to prepare for engineering, NEET and civil services examinations are forced to live in poorly maintained paying guest facilities because of limited and expensive hostel options.
Students Face Poor Living Conditions
Students living away from their families often struggle with poor food, unsafe buildings, contaminated water and harassment by landlords and brokers.
NDTV visited Old Rajinder Nagar and nearby areas to examine whether living conditions for students have improved since the 2024 tragedy in which three UPSC aspirants drowned in a flooded coaching centre basement.
While many coaching centres have reportedly taken steps to address safety concerns, the condition of student accommodation remains a major concern.
Dilapidated PG Buildings Raise Fire Safety Concerns
In Karol Bagh, NDTV found several old and poorly maintained buildings being used as paying guest accommodations. Many buildings reportedly had seepage, damaged structures and exposed electrical wires.
Inside the buildings, narrow staircases, garbage-filled landings, small rooms and dirty, waterlogged toilets added to the concerns. The makeshift kitchens also reportedly lacked basic facilities.
Students living in the area said they face problems with both accommodation and basic services.
Students Complain About Water and Harassment
Vikas Mishra, an aspirant living in the area, described the experience of staying in such accommodation as extremely difficult.
“As an aspirant, living here is like living in jail. The owners will harass you. The brokers will harass you. If all goes well, then there is the water issue. Sometimes there is no water for five-six days,” he said.
He also alleged that the water supplied to the accommodation is sometimes contaminated.
“It is grey, meaning at some point it gets contaminated… this is how we live,” Mishra said.
Another aspirant, Sakshi Singh, said inspections should go beyond roads and public areas.
“Those who come from the government, check only the roads. Checking the roads is not enough. They should also look inside the buildings. The stairs are so narrow. And we have to climb to the fourth floor,” she said.
Delhi High Court Seeks Inspection of PGs
The Satya Niketan collapse has also drawn the attention of the Delhi High Court. The court has directed civic authorities to inspect paying guest accommodations and examine whether they comply with legal and safety requirements.
“A large number of students come to Delhi from outside for their studies. They are the future of the country,” the court observed, describing the condition of some accommodations as “pathetic”.
“You cannot evade your responsibility,” the judges told the government, while also stressing the need to increase hostel facilities for students.
NHRC Seeks More Affordable Student Housing
The National Human Rights Commission has also raised concerns over the shortage of hostel facilities at Delhi University.
The NHRC has sought an action plan from the Delhi Chief Secretary and the University Grants Commission chairman and asked for a detailed report by October 15.
The rights body has called for new hostels and the expansion and improvement of existing facilities, particularly for students from economically weaker sections and those coming from outside Delhi.
Supreme Court to Examine Satya Niketan Collapse
The Supreme Court is also scheduled to hear the matter concerning the Satya Niketan building collapse.
A bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R Mahadevan listed the matter after Senior Advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, serving as Amicus Curiae in a case concerning building violations, sought an early hearing.
Sinha has placed the September 6 collapse before the Supreme Court and sought directions for time-bound inspections and safety audits of PG accommodations, private hostels and similar student housing facilities across Delhi.
Court Considers Wider Safety Inspections
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that the Delhi High Court had already taken up a PIL concerning the incident and issued directions to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The Delhi High Court has directed the MCD to inspect PG hostels within its jurisdiction within one week and determine whether the buildings were constructed with the required permissions and whether there were violations of building rules.
Justice Amanullah noted that the proceedings before the two courts overlap and indicated that the Supreme Court could consider transferring the Delhi High Court proceedings to itself.
“This has been taken in right earnest but it is overlapping,” Justice Amanullah said, adding that the matter may eventually have to be considered on a pan India basis.
Cause of Collapse Still Under Investigation
The building at Property No. P 14 in Satya Niketan collapsed around 1.30 pm on September 6. According to the Amicus Curiae’s status report, the property measured about 55 square yards and had a basement and four floors above the ground floor.
It was being used as a boys’ PG under the name “Hostel Daze”. Seven people died and at least 12 were rescued and taken to hospitals.
The exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Preliminary material indicates that construction work was being carried out around the basement and that waterlogging had been reported shortly before the collapse.
An FIR was registered at South Campus Police Station under Sections 105, 290 and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Previous Collapse Raises Further Safety Concerns
The Amicus Curiae’s report also noted that another building in Satya Niketan collapsed in April 2022, killing two people and injuring four others.
The recurrence of building collapses in the locality has raised questions over the enforcement of building rules and the identification of dangerous structures.
The MCD has suspended five South Zone officials and ordered the demolition of the adjoining property P 13 after finding it unsafe.
Supreme Court Pushes for Broader Action
The Amicus Curiae has proposed extending the Supreme Court’s building inspection exercise to PG accommodations and private hostels across Delhi.
The proposed inspections would examine building plans, the number of floors, basement construction, land use, structural safety, fire safety and emergency exits.
The Supreme Court has previously taken note of widespread violations of building and land use regulations and indicated that the issue should be monitored on a pan India basis.
