NEW DELHI:
Student organisations stepped up demands for accountability and safer accommodation for students following the collapse of a five-storey paying guest building at Satya Niketan near Delhi University’s South Campus, a tragedy that claimed seven lives.
The Left-affiliated All India Students’ Association (AISA) held a protest at Satya Niketan, demanding action against those responsible for the collapse and alleging lapses in construction safety, regulatory oversight and rescue operations.
AISA demanded the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, alleging that authorities had failed to ensure safe and affordable accommodation for students.
The organisation claimed that the building, known as ‘Hostel Daze’, had old and unreliable infrastructure but was nevertheless allowed to have a second basement constructed underneath it. AISA described the incident as an avoidable disaster and demanded strict action against the building owner and officials responsible for regulatory failures.
The organisation also alleged that police and JCB machinery reached the site around two hours after the collapse, contributing to confusion during the rescue operation. It called for accountability for the deaths.
The tragedy has also renewed concerns over the shortage of affordable hostels at Delhi University. Student organisations said inadequate hostel capacity had forced large numbers of students to depend on expensive private PG accommodation and rented housing.
The Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India also raised the issue, with its president Vinod Jakhar alleging that no new hostel had been constructed for Delhi University in the past 10 years.
The NSUI demanded that adequate hostels be built within the university and called for illegally operated hostels and PG accommodations to be shut down. It also sought a Rent Control Act covering hostels and PG establishments and comprehensive inspections of such properties.
The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has also demanded an impartial, high-level inquiry into the collapse. The organisation sought accountability from PG operators and officials accused of negligence and called for immediate structural and safety audits of PGs and rented accommodation in areas dominated by students.
The collapse has triggered wider questions over the safety of buildings being used as student accommodation in the national capital, particularly in areas surrounding Delhi University’s campuses.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the five-storey building collapsed in the congested Satya Niketan area. Rescue operations continued into Monday as teams searched through the debris for survivors.