Delhi Building Collapse: LG Chairs High-Level Meet on Building Safety

After a fatal building collapse in Satya Niketan, Delhi LG Taranjit Singh Sandhu chaired a high-level meeting, ordering strict enforcement against unsafe buildings, a review of PG guidelines, and exploring alternative student accommodation.

LG Orders Crackdown on Unsafe Buildings

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting in the wake of collapse of a five-storey building in Satya Niketan and emphasised strict enforcement against unsafe buildings, institutional accountability and an emergency mechanism under DDMA for swift grievance redressal. He asked the Urban Development Minister of the Delhi government to lead a committee with concerned senior officials to review institutional PG guidelines. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood were among those present.

“Chaired a review meeting with CM Smt. @gupta_rekha Ji, Minister Shri @AshishSood_bjp Ji, Chief Secretary, DG NDRF, @CPDelhi , and senior officials on building safety, student accommodation, and PG regulations across Delhi,” Delhi Lt Governor said in a post on X. “Emphasised strict enforcement against unsafe buildings, clear institutional accountability, and an emergency mechanism under DDMA for swift grievance redressal and crisis coordination. Directed the Minister (UD), GNCTD, to lead a committee with concerned senior officials to review institutional PG guidelines, explore alternative student accommodation through Universities, MCD & DDA, and assess the feasibility of using unutilised DDA housing stock for student accommodation,” he added.

Property Owners Arrested

Delhi Police have arrested three members of the family associated with the property -- Hariram Gupta, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh -- in connection with the case.

According to Delhi Police sources, while all three have been arrested, the police are likely to seek custody only of Mahesh. Police sources said the electricity connection for the building was in Hariram's name, while the property was legally registered in the name of Urmila. However, according to the police, the responsibility for operating the PG and taking decisions related to its functioning rested with Mahesh. The police may therefore seek Mahesh's remand for further questioning as part of the investigation.

High Court Intervenes, MCD Officials Suspended

Earlier, Delhi Police had apprehended Hariram from Bhiwadi in Rajasthan after launching a search operation to trace him following the collapse.

The death toll in the incident has risen to seven, while several people were rescued from the debris. Rescue operations continued at the site on Monday as agencies searched the rubble.

The collapse has brought renewed scrutiny on the safety and regulatory compliance of private PG accommodations in areas surrounding Delhi University, where a large number of students, including those from outside Delhi, live in rented accommodation. The Delhi High Court has also directed the MCD to conduct a high-level inquiry into the collapse and ascertain whether the building had all requisite permissions. It ordered a comprehensive audit of PG accommodations and hostels under the MCD's jurisdiction within a week. The court directed authorities to identify officials responsible for any lapses and specify the action proposed or taken against those found responsible.

Students Raise Safety Concerns

Following the incident, five MCD officials, including senior engineering officials from the South Zone, were suspended pending disciplinary proceedings.

Meanwhile, students in the area have raised concerns over the condition of buildings and the safety of PG accommodations. Speaking with ANI, college student Shaurya said students come to the area in the hope of building better lives but ended up losing their lives in the incident. “Students come here to make their lives better, but they lost their lives here. There are many PGs here, and a similar incident occurred in 2022 as well. Right now, people will come here, but no action will be taken, and PG owners will do the same thing again,” he said. Shaurya also questioned the lack of adequate hostel facilities for university students.

Another Delhi University student, Aditya Anand Dubey, raised concerns over the condition of buildings in the locality and demanded action against unsafe structures. “I am hearing that house owners and brokers here are threatening to evict the students if they speak against them. I request the government to take action against the builder mafia and MCD,” he said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)