A Delhi Municipal Corporation survey of 2,250 paying guest accommodations found repair-related defects in 138 buildings, including four classified as dangerous, after the collapse of a building in Satya Niketan prompted the Delhi High Court to order a safety audit across the city.
The survey found that 90 of the 138 buildings needing repairs are in the South Zone. The zone also accounts for 22 of the 25 properties identified as requiring major repairs. The surveyed paying guest accommodations in the zone house about 47,000 people, according to the report cited by Jagran.
The MCD classified most of the 138 properties as needing minor repairs, while 25 require major repairs. Four buildings were placed in the dangerous category. The findings have brought renewed attention to the structural safety of paying guest housing, much of which is concentrated around Delhi’s universities, coaching hubs and employment centres.
The Delhi High Court ordered the survey after the Satya Niketan building collapse and directed the MCD to complete a safety audit of paying guest accommodations within a week. The court also sought details of the regulatory framework governing such housing and the roles of agencies involved in its operation. It observed that responsibility for the incident could not be placed only on building owners because the MCD and Delhi University also had roles to play.
The court directed the concerned authorities to file their responses within 10 days. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for September 25.
According to the MCD survey, the Civil Lines Zone has the highest number of paying guest accommodations, with 531 properties. The zone includes North Campus of Delhi University and Mukherjee Nagar, areas with a high concentration of coaching institutions. Keshavpuram has 410 such properties, while the South Zone has 384.
The South Zone includes the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University’s South Campus. The presence of these institutions has created strong demand for student accommodation, increasing the importance of building safety and regulatory oversight in the area.
MCD officials said many of the weak buildings identified in the survey were constructed without pillars. In such structures, the load is borne by walls, roofs and floors, according to the report.
The civic body also carried out enforcement action at 11 locations on Sunday against illegal or dilapidated construction. Four properties were sealed for violations in the East and Old Delhi zones, while demolition action was reported in Satbari and other areas of the South Zone. The civic authorities are expected to place their response before the High Court ahead of the September 25 hearing.
