The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Sunday said all illegal constructions with more than four floors would be “immediately sealed” following the collapse of a five-storey building in Satya Niketan that killed six people and injured many.
“All illegal constructions with more than four floors will be immediately sealed, and strict action will be taken against the guilty officials, leading to their immediate dismissal,” the MCD said.
“These orders will be implemented with immediate effect,” the MCD added. The Satya Niketan building was being used as a paying-guest accommodation and collapsed on Sunday afternoon.
Building reportedly constructed in the 1990s
According to an MCD report, the collapsed property, identified as P-14 Satya Niketan, stood on a plot measuring around 55 square yards and comprised a basement and ground to fourth floor. The structure was reportedly built in the 1990s.
The MCD report said there was “No record of booking or sealing available, no complaints received of any work in this property.”
A senior civic official said no sanctioned building plan existed for the structure and that construction carried out in the basement was unauthorised.
The building collapse saw a large-scale rescue operation involving the Delhi Fire Services, National Disaster Response Force and police personnel.
Several people were trapped under the rubble. Students and locals were among those who rushed to the site in the initial stages of the rescue operation.
Basement changes, fifth floor under scanner
Permission could not have been granted for changes to the basement of an existing structure as such work would be hazardous, the official said.
“Permission for changes in basement of a standing structure cannot be granted. It is hazardous. It is the failure of the field staff to detect the activity,” the official said.
The official also said a fifth floor was not permitted under Floor Area Ratio (FAR) regulations.
The MCD official said resettlement colonies have standard unit plans and that structures cannot simply be expanded beyond those provisions. However, the grant of freehold rights in 2011 is believed to have contributed to widespread expansion and alterations of properties in such colonies.
Construction work under scanner
The circumstances leading to the collapse are being investigated. Police have registered an FIR against the owner Hariram Bansal and others. Renovation and construction work being carried out at the building before the collapse has come under scrutiny.
Officials are also examining whether structural changes, construction activity or other violations weakened the building. The exact cause of the collapse has not yet been established.
5 brought dead, 1 died during treatment
The AIIMS JPN Apex Trauma Centre received 10 patients from the incident. Five were brought dead, while another patient who was initially in critical condition later succumbed to injuries.
Three patients have been admitted and are undergoing treatment. One patient underwent limb surgery, while another sustained minor injuries and was discharged after observation.
Satya Niketan transformed into student hub
Satya Niketan was among around 45 resettlement colonies developed in the 1970s. Its location next to Delhi University’s South Campus gradually transformed the neighbourhood from a low-rise resettlement colony into a major student accommodation hub.
According to civic officials, property owners have increasingly added rooms and floors to existing structures to meet demand for accommodation near educational institutions.
