Delhi PG survey flags 4 ‘dangerous’ buildings, south zone worst hit

A Delhi survey identified 4 dangerous, 25 majorly, and 138 minorly unsafe PG buildings, following a court-ordered audit after a deadly collapse.

As the deadline for the week-long survey of paying guest (PG) accommodations ordered by the Delhi High Court following the Satya Niketan building collapse ended on Sunday, civic officials said they had identified four buildings as “dangerous”, 25 requiring “major repair work” and 138 needing “minor repair work”.

The officials added that the survey identified more than 2,250 buildings where PG facilities are operational, housing over 47,000 people. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

According to officials who are familiar with the findings of the interim survey report, the maximum number of buildings with PGs requiring repairs were located in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)’s South Zone. The officials added that the survey identified more than 2,250 buildings where PG facilities are operational, housing over 47,000 people.

The findings come after the high court on September 7 ordered a one-week audit of all PGs and hostels across the Capital, a day after seven people were killed when a multi-storey PG accommodation collapsed in Satya Niketan. The court also sought details from Delhi University (DU) and MCD on the regulatory framework governing such accommodations, stressing that responsibility for the tragedy could not rest solely with building owners and that both the MCD and DU had a role to play.

According to the survey, Civil Lines has the highest number of buildings housing PGs, with 531, followed by Keshavpuram with 410 and South Zone with 384. Civil Lines and Keshavpuram include major educational clusters, including Delhi University’s North Campus and the Mukherjee Nagar coaching hub, while the South Zone has institutions such as IIT Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University and DU’s South Campus.

South Zone also accounted for the largest share of buildings flagged for repairs. Of the 138 buildings requiring minor repairs, 90 were in the zone. Of the 25 requiring major repairs, 22 were in South zone. Three of the four buildings classified as “dangerous” were also located there, with the fourth in Keshavpuram.

A senior municipal official, who asked not to be identified, said the interim report would soon be submitted to the high court.

“More than 1,100 units were identified on the first day and the numbers have seen minor change over the last few days. However, attempts are being made to see if there are any more such units. Buildings in need of repair have been directed to undertake maintenance on an urgent basis,” the official said.

Another MCD official explained most of the buildings classified as vulnerable were “load-bearing structures”, in which the walls carry the weight of floors and the roof and transfer it to the foundation. In contrast, framed structures rely on a skeletal framework of beams and columns. “The framed structures found vulnerable are the ones with five or more floors,” an official said.

The officials cited above said that based on their initial assessment, several buildings in the Satya Niketan area were found to be “load-bearing structures”. This, they said, was particularly noticeable in the building right next to the one that collapsed. MCD officials had to place metal jacks and support poles to ensure that the building did not collapse as well/

Meanwhile, MCD’s enforcement drive against dangerous buildings, unauthorised constructions and violations of the Master Plan of Delhi and building bye-laws continued on Sunday.

“As part of the intensive enforcement exercise carried out on Sunday, 11 demolition actions were undertaken across various locations and four properties were sealed for violations of the MPD and Building Bye-Laws. On Saturday, 33 properties were demolished and five other properties were sealed,” an official said.

Several coaching units near Vikas Marg were sealed on Sunday. Demolition action was carried out in Bijwasan in the South West zone, Dilshad Colony and Dilshad Garden in the North East zone, and various areas of the Old Delhi zone. Sealing action was also carried out in the East and Old Delhi zones.

Separately, a four-storey building in Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar area that developed a sudden tilt was evacuated on Sunday, with the MCD directing its owner to demolish the structure voluntarily, officials said.

The civic body warned that it would initiate action under applicable provisions if the owner failed to demolish the building.

The structure in Shahdara was evacuated after it developed the tilt, triggering panic among residents in the area. Police cordoned off the site and prevented people from approaching the building as a precautionary measure, officials said.