New Delhi, India, September 7: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the government, in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), is formulating a policy to make periodic structural audits and safety certifications mandatory for all buildings used for public activities, including paying guest accommodations, nursing homes and schools.
The announcement came during her visit to the site of the building collapse at Satya Niketan, which has claimed six lives.Gupta said no public activity would be permitted in buildings that fail to undergo the required audits and obtain safety certifications. She also said the government would not allow people to reside in unsafe PG accommodations.
The Chief Minister said accommodation had been arranged in college hostels for those evacuated from the building and that the government was providing them with necessary support. She added that officials found responsible for oversight failures, negligence or other lapses would face strict action.
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the information received so far indicated that the building was 40–50 years old and that work in its basement may have triggered the collapse.
He said an adjacent structure, also 40–50 years old, had been evacuated and was scheduled for demolition. However, the demolition could not be carried out immediately because the structure was unstable and the condition beneath the accumulated debris was not known.
Sirsa said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was continuing rescue and debris-clearing operations. He added that the operation required caution to prevent damage to the adjacent building while checking for any further casualties.
Gupta also held discussions with NDRF officials during her visit. Rescue and search operations at the site remained ongoing.
The MCD on Sunday ordered the demolition of the building at Property No. 13, Satya Niketan, within three days, citing its “ruinous/dangerous condition” and stating that it posed a risk to occupants and people in the neighbourhood.
The collapse has also led to protests by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), which demanded accountability and action against those responsible.
NSUI President Vinod Jakhar alleged that the rescue operation had faced failures and questioned the preparedness of the authorities. He alleged that the system lacked disaster planning, management, equipment and a proper rescue team.