Delhi PG Evacuated After Large Crack Found Days After Fatal Hostel Collapse
Students were evacuated from a Delhi PG after a large crack was found. The incident follows a deadly Satya Niketan collapse and has spurred new safety measures.
A paying-guest (PG) accommodation in Delhi's Chirag Delhi area was evacuated late at night after a large crack was discovered running from the main gate towards the upper floors of the four-storey building. Students were moved out as a precaution, and both the front and back gates of the building were subsequently sealed following an inspection.
Visuals from inside the building showed chunks of cement and debris scattered on floors, exposed wiring in places, and damp patches on walls and ceilings. A prominent crack was visible near the main gate, with plaster chipped and damaged around it.
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood confirmed the evacuation, stating that the local administration acted on a precautionary basis after the crack was noticed. Male students were temporarily accommodated at Bhagat Singh College, while female students were shifted to the Vocational College. The minister added that students have been assured assistance in recovering their belongings and security deposits.
The evacuation comes just days after a PG building collapsed in Satya Niketan on September 6, killing seven people, including five students. That tragedy has prompted a broader examination of student housing safety across the capital.
The Delhi government is now working on a law to regulate PG accommodations. The proposed framework includes mandatory licences, police and civic clearances, unique registration numbers, and a government portal listing verified PGs. Rules under consideration also require CCTV cameras at entrances and common areas, visitor registers, security guards for larger establishments, and wardens who can respond during emergencies.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has ordered a crackdown on illegal construction, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carrying out demolition drives and intensifying inspections of hostels and PGs. Senior municipal officials have been directed to remain on the ground during these actions. Authorities are also reviewing building records to determine when unauthorised construction occurred and which agency had jurisdiction at the time.
Separately, Delhi Police has directed senior officers to regularly interact with students living in PGs and rented accommodation, focusing on concerns around security, harassment, and women's safety. Areas with high concentrations of colleges and student housing have been identified as priorities, with an action-taken report due by September 20.
Speaking on the Chirag Delhi incident, Minister Sood also criticised former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj for attempting to politicise the issue, noting that Bharadwaj was the local MLA for ten years. Sood questioned who should take responsibility for a hostel being run in a building with cracks, and urged against petty politics on serious matters.