New Delhi: A safety survey of paying guest (PG) accommodation buildings across Delhi has identified three buildings housing 69 occupants as “visibly dangerous”, while nine other buildings housing 140 occupants require major repairs, according to officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The survey was initiated following the collapse of a five-storey PG building in Satya Niketan, South Delhi, which claimed seven lives. The latest assessment has covered 1,355 PG buildings across the national capital. Of these, 1,304 buildings housing 26,917 occupants were classified as “visibly safe.”
All three buildings categorised as visibly dangerous were identified in South Zone-I, where the survey remains underway. The MCD has also classified nine buildings as visibly repairable but requiring major repairs. These include five buildings in Keshav Puram housing 36 occupants, two in Najafgarh housing 38 occupants and two in South Zone-II housing 66 occupants.
In addition, 39 buildings accommodating 664 occupants were found to require minor repairs. The survey has also flagged several potentially vulnerable structures, particularly framed buildings exceeding G+4 floors. These include 21 structures in Civil Lines housing 420 occupants, 57 in Shahdara South Zone-II housing 2,036 occupants, seven in Karol Bagh housing 106 occupants, five in Shahdara South Zone-I housing 90 occupants and two in Najafgarh housing 20 occupants.
The MCD’s inspection drive has been accompanied by intensified enforcement action. Between September 7 and September 10, the civic body carried out demolition action at 111 properties and sealed 88 properties. It also issued 91 show-cause notices related to unauthorised construction, 69 show-cause notices for sealing action and 34 demolition orders.
The enforcement figures rose sharply over the four-day period, with demolition action reported at seven properties on September 7, 17 on September 8, 46 on September 9 and 41 on September 10. Sealing action was taken against two, five, 20 and 61 properties respectively during the same period.
The survey is still underway in several zones, and officials have cautioned that some of the data remains interim. The findings have renewed attention on the condition of PG accommodation in Delhi, particularly in areas with a high concentration of student housing. Recent reporting has also highlighted concerns around unauthorised construction and the effectiveness of building-safety inspections following the Satya Niketan collapse. TOI
Also Read: Satya Niketan Building Collapse Triggers Blame Game Between MCD, DDA and Political Parties
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