Muhammad Raees, South Delhi: A five-storey building that collapsed in South Delhi's Satya Niketan on Sunday was operating illegally as a Paying Guest (PG) building without regulatory approvals. Despite the heavy student traffic, the building owner had not obtained a fire No Objection Certificate (NOC).
According to local residents, the nearly 40-year-old structure was originally built as a two-storey property and lacked a strong beam structure. Three additional floors were added in subsequent years. Repeated basement flooding due to heavy rains and recent construction work weakened the foundation, causing the building to collapse.
Disputes, Modifications, And Foundation Issues
Locals stated that the lower portion of the building previously housed commercial shops. After a long-standing dispute between the owner and a shopkeeper over one of the shops was resolved, the space was vacated, and preparations began to lease the building.
The owner subsequently leased the property to Hostel Days, a PG company that began operating the facility two years ago. Residents alleged that additional floors were added to the old two-storey building without adequate structural support.
The basement floods almost every year during the rainy season, including the most recent monsoon. After workers drained the water about a month and a half ago, construction and repair work began to fix the basement and prevent future flooding.
However, prolonged exposure to water had already weakened the foundation. As construction started around the foundation, a wall slid, triggering the collapse. However, officials noted that the exact cause of the incident will be confirmed after a technical investigation.
Safety Concerns Raise Over PGs In Old Buildings
Satya Niketan is a student hub due to its proximity to Delhi University’s South Campus. To meet the housing demand of out-of-state students, the local PG business has boomed, with companies like Bloom Stay, Yesh PG, Stanza, and Hostel Days leasing local properties and converting them into PGs.
Was The Satya Niketan PG Illegal?
Hostel Days operated the PG in the collapsed building and owns four other properties in the same area. The incident raises questions about PGs operating in older buildings and their structural safety.
According to the rules, PGs cannot operate in residential areas. However, the new Master Plan allows them to operate on mixed-land-use and commercial land or in residential areas with agency approval.
This PG was illegal because it operated in a residential area without approval. Additionally, as the building was five storeys tall and housed more than 20 people, a fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) was required, which was never obtained.
The building was originally constructed in 1990 under a plan that allowed up to two and a half storeys, yet it was built up to five storeys. Although this construction was previously protected under the Central Government's Special Provisions Act, undertaking structural modifications revoked that protection, rendering the building illegal.