Inmates at Delhi PGs complain of dire living conditions

Residents say that while space at these accommodations at a premium, rents are far higher than most can afford

Packed rooms with little ventilation, dingy staircases, minimal entries and exits – the paying guest accommodations in Mukherjee Nagar are neither comfortable nor safe, said residents of the popular coaching hub in northwest Delhi, stressing that every nook of the neighbourhood was criss-crossed by exposed power cables, seemingly a fire hazard waiting to happen.

A crammed room inside a PG accommodation in Mukherjee Nagar in New Delhi. (HT Photo)

To top it off, they added, with space at a premium and demand unceasing, rents are far higher than most can afford.

Days after a fire tore through a women’s PG in Mukherjee Nagar, prompting the rushed rescue of 34 people, residents of the congested quarters said complaints fell to deaf-ears and that they were concerned for their well-being.

“I could not sleep that night,” said a woman from Haryana who shares a tiny 6x6 room with a friend from Uttar Pradesh in Mukherjee Nagar, both of whom are preparing for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) examination.

“We pay ₹13,000 as monthly rent, which is inclusive of food,” said the other woman. “It’s very high. We expected better for the money,” she said.

Officials said the fire was down to a fault in the electricity meter board in the building. And, they added, the building had only one entry and exit, paving the way for a major tragedy.

“We have not told our parents about the fire... if we do, they will ask us to come back,” said the woman from UP. Her father is a farmer, and her mother a housewife.

A 22-year-old aspirant preparing for the civil services exams said that if a fire broke out in her room, she doubted if she would make it. “Makeshift cabins have been turned into rooms because the demand for housing is increasing every day,” she said.

To meet the ever-increasing need for rooms, PG owners have taken to piecemeal solutions to fit more people in. In many accommodations, for instance, a regular-sized room was segregated into smaller units using wooden planks.

Each smaller cabin serves as a room, with rents swinging between ₹5,000 and ₹10,000.

“Most of these makeshift cabins accommodate more residents than they can possibly fit,” she said. As the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) issued notices to nearly 100 units in the area for flouting building by-laws, many owners on Tuesday began hurriedly tearing down these makeshift solutions

Ajju, 24, a PG owner, said that since the fire at the coaching centre, they have been taking fire norms seriously. “We have exhaust fans in every room and an extinguisher on every floor,” he said. He said that the demand for PGs has risen over the past years. “The area became a hub for higher studies as coaching centres mushroomed and its proximity to Delhi University attracted students too,” said Ajju. However, he did not comment on the use of wooden planks as separators.

HT reached out to MCD and DFS, but neither responded to queries seeking comments.

Tuesday’s tremors, which rocked buildings across the national capital around 3pm, sparked fresh fears among students.

“Our PG has a narrow exit. If there is an emergency, we will have to scramble through the building,” said one student.