Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed authorities to conduct a complete structural safety audit of all buildings serving as PG accommodation across major PG hubs in the capital within a week. This comes at a time when the foundation of a building collapsed in Satya Niketan, and students and other residents living in PG facilities are in danger in the city.
The directive was given by Sandhu at a high-level meeting along with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood. The meeting was held following the Satya Niketan building collapse and to discuss safety for students in PG accommodation in Delhi.
Safety Audit Ordered across all PG Hubs
The Lieutenant Governor instructed the Chief Secretary to ensure structural safety audits are completed for PG buildings located in major accommodation hubs within seven days. The exercise will examine the structural condition of buildings and identify properties that may present risks to residents.
This decision is important because several parts of Delhi, particularly those around the educational institutions, have seen a high concentration of PG accommodation for students and young professionals. Many of them are located in dense residential areas where building safety and compliance are very much a concern.
Hence, authorities will also look at the structural stability of buildings as part of the audit and take appropriate action where serious safety violations or risks are identified.
Committee to Review PG Guidelines
The Lieutenant Governor also directed Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood to form a committee to review current institutional guidelines governing PG accommodations.
The committee will also examine whether the existing framework can meet the safety and accommodation needs of students. It will look into alternative accommodation options that might provide safer and more regulated housing facilities for students in Delhi.
The review will take into account the longer-term solution to affordable housing near colleges and educational institutions as well as enforcement and zoning.
Senior officials attend High-level meetings.
The meeting brought together senior officials from many departments and agencies and showed the fact that the issue was multi-agency in nature.
Delhi Chief Secretary, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) chief, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner, Delhi Police Commissioner, Delhi University Vice-Chancellor and DDA Vice-Chairman were among those present.
Principal Secretary (Home), Principal Secretary (Education) and other senior officials from departments involved also participated in the discussions.
The presence of officials from civic, police, education, disaster-response and development authorities indicates that the government is looking for a coordinated approach to improve safety standards in student accommodation.
Focus on Student Safety
The Satya Niketan incident has brought new attention to the condition of buildings used for residential purposes in areas popular with students. With thousands of students dependent on PGs and other rented accommodation, authorities are struggling to balance affordability and accessibility with strict safety requirements.
The proposed safety audit would help authorities to identify vulnerable buildings and take corrective measures immediately. PG guidelines will likely be reviewed in the future and stricter guidelines will be laid down for property owners and operators.
And the Delhi government is moving toward better monitoring of PG accommodation and safety for the students in the capital. The one-week deadline for the structural audit will put municipal and administrative agencies under pressure to complete inspections quickly and act on any serious violations.
