Police have arrested a labour contractor from Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the collapse of a PG building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has also begun demolishing another building adjacent to the collapsed structure after declaring it dangerous. Four people have now been arrested in the case.
The ‘Hostel Days’ building in Satya Niketan collapsed on September 6, killing at least seven people and injuring five others. The incident has also raised questions over the safety of other buildings in the area.
The MCD began demolition work on Tuesday on a building adjacent to the collapsed ‘Hostel Days’ structure in Satya Niketan. Officials had declared the neighbouring building dangerous after the incident.
A girls’ PG was being operated from the building. It was vacated after the neighbouring structure collapsed. Demolition work continued until Tuesday evening and is scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning.
The action comes amid increased scrutiny of other dilapidated buildings in the area.
Police arrested a labour contractor from Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse. The arrest has taken the total number of people arrested in the case to four.
Earlier, police arrested PG owner Hariram Bansal, his wife Urmila and their son Mahesh. The three were produced before Patiala House Court on Monday night.
The court sent Hariram and Urmila to 14 days of judicial custody, while their son Mahesh was sent to two days of police custody.
The police investigation is examining the building’s structure and the repair work carried out at the premises. During police remand, Mahesh told the investigating officer that repair work was being carried out to address water accumulation and dampness in the basement following a complaint from the company operating the PG.
After water was removed from the basement, a power trowel machine was being used during construction work. The investigation has also raised the possibility that vibrations generated by the machine, combined with the already weakened structure, placed additional stress on the building, causing it to collapse.
The final conclusion on the actual cause of the incident will be reached only after the investigation is completed.
Minutes before the collapse, two students living in the neighbouring girls’ PG recorded a video showing cracks that had appeared in the walls and ceiling of their room. The video emerged after the incident.
The students, Arnica and Mansi, have been identified as second-year students of Delhi University. In the video, 20-year-old Arnica can be heard saying that the building appeared likely to collapse.
The development has increased scrutiny of the structural safety of buildings in the surrounding area. The administration is examining whether other buildings in the locality are safe for habitation.
A case was registered at South Campus police station on the basis of a complaint filed by ASI Praful Toppo. According to the FIR, the building’s old foundation was not capable of bearing the load, despite additional floors having been constructed on it.
This aspect is being examined as an important part of the investigation. Authorities are also examining whether construction and building safety regulations were followed.
Following the incident, a survey of PGs and buildings across Delhi was launched on the directions of MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar. On the first day of the survey, 1,120 PGs were inspected, of which 52 were found to be dilapidated.
The MCD has directed building executive engineers in all zones to inspect buildings in their respective areas and submit reports by September 10.
The survey findings will be included in an affidavit to be filed before the Delhi High Court. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for September 25.
The Satya Niketan PG building collapse case reached the Supreme Court on Tuesday. During the hearing, a bench comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R. Mahadevan indicated that the court did not want to restrict the issue to Delhi alone.
The court is considering reviewing the situation of dilapidated and illegal buildings across the country. The next hearing is scheduled for September 10.
The matter came up after Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae Senior Advocate Ajit Sinha referred to the September 6 incident in Satya Niketan. Sinha is assisting the court in an earlier case concerning illegal and unsafe buildings.
The Supreme Court has previously issued directions concerning illegal buildings. The court may now review the status of their implementation.
Following the Satya Niketan incident, the MCD suspended South Zone Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar on Monday. Four engineering officials were also suspended pending completion of departmental action.
IAS officer Shashwat Saurabh was subsequently given additional charge of the MCD’s South Zone. Saurabh, a 2016-batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer, is currently the Deputy Commissioner of the South West Zone.
The present character of Satya Niketan has changed over time. The area was established between 1965 and 1970 for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers. After Delhi University’s South Campus began in the 1970s, the number of colleges in the area increased and PG accommodation became more common for students.
The area is estimated to have around 300 houses, of which approximately 170 operate as PGs. After several original allottees sold their houses, the residential structure and use of the area also changed.
Urban planning expert Jagdish Mamgain said several old buildings in Delhi were not designed to bear the load of additional floors. Construction changes made to such buildings over time can therefore pose challenges in terms of safety.
According to the available information, only 1.75 lakh of Delhi’s approximately 75 lakh houses have approved building layout plans. These figures raise questions about building safety, construction standards and monitoring of the city’s older residential structures.
After the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta met people injured in the collapse and announced assistance for them. The administration has been taking measures related to relief, investigation and safety following the incident.
The Satya Niketan incident has raised serious concerns over monitoring building safety in Delhi’s PG areas. Police investigation, the MCD survey and action against dangerous buildings are continuing.
