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After the death of six people when a five-storey building collapsed in Delhi's Satya Niketan on Sunday, many questions are being raised regarding the reason and responsibility for this accident.
It is being said that work was going on in the basement of the building where the PG was running for students. Initial investigation has also revealed questions regarding the construction of the building, changes made in it and security arrangements.
Local people have also raised questions about the condition of buildings and construction activities in the area. At the same time, some serious things have come to light in the investigation by MCD and police.
In such a situation, there are five big questions.
1. Was the building safety checked before starting the renovation?
At the time of the accident, repair and construction work was going on in the building.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said after the accident that excavation work was going on in the basement and during this time a pillar slipped, after which the entire building collapsed. He called it preliminary information.
Local people also told that water was accumulating in the basement and work was going on there. PTI quoted local people as saying that there were already complaints about water logging in the area and buildings not being regularly inspected.
According to The Indian Express report, the police are also investigating whether the structural condition of the building was checked before starting the repairs. It is also being seen whether any load bearing part has been changed during the repair.
That is, the question is - if there were problems like cracks, dampness and water accumulation in the building, was it structurally examined by a qualified engineer before starting the repairs?
2. Was the building constructed as per the approved plan?
After the accident, the initial investigation by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has revealed serious questions regarding the construction of the building.
Hindustan Times has quoted a senior MCD official as saying that no approved building plan of this building has been found in the records. According to MCD, this building, built on a plot of about 55 square yards, had four floors above the basement and ground floor. The construction done in the basement was unauthorized.
According to The Indian Express, locals claimed that two additional floors were built in the building about two years ago. Police are now investigating when and how these floors were built and whether permission was taken for them.
Many local people also claimed that there was additional construction work going on in the building and it was undergoing renovation.
Delhi Mayor Pravesh Mahi, while talking to news agency ANI, said that probably weak material was used in the construction of the building, hence it could not withstand the construction work being done at a new level.
So the question is, were the construction or subsequent changes approved, or not?
3. Was this building allowed to be run as a PG?
Satya Niketan is near the South Campus of Delhi University and over the years it has turned into a major PG hub for students.
According to The Indian Express, the building where the accident occurred was built on a 55 square yard plot and was later converted into a PG. This building was given on lease to an institution last year and was being used for student accommodation. The police is investigating whether the necessary permission was required to run the PG and whether the building met the safety standards or not.
Locals also told The Indian Express that many houses in Satya Niketan have been converted into multi-storey PGs for students.
Hindustan Times quoted MCD officials as saying that fire NOC is necessary for student PGs in certain situations, and this building did not have such NOC.
Many local people also said that many private buildings in Satya Niketan have been converted into PGs and most of the PGs do not even have PG boards outside them.
The question is – was this building allowed to be used as a PG housing a large number of students? Were the stairs, escape routes and other necessary facilities adequate for the number of occupants in the building?
4. Were there adequate arrangements to escape from an emergency in the building?
After the accident, questions have also been raised regarding the emergency exit of the building.
The Indian Express quoted local people as saying that there was no second exit in the building, due to which people could face difficulty in getting out in case of any emergency.
According to the same report, the police is also investigating whether the necessary safety standards for running the PG were followed or not.
Hindustan Times quoted a senior MCD official as saying that the building did not have a fire NOC, whereas under the rules, fire NOC is mandatory for PGs above a certain height and number of students.
In such a situation, the question is - if such a large number of students were living there, were there adequate arrangements to get everyone out safely in case of fire or any other emergency?
5. If such problems already existed in the area, why did the MCD not know about it?
This question has become one of the most serious questions after the accident.
In many videos posted by news agencies and on social media, local people living there are claiming that incidents of building collapse have happened in this area before.
Local people claimed that there is a growing trend of converting a large number of residential buildings into PGs in this area.
Delhi Mayor Parvesh Wahi himself said that from now on it will be ensured that if any landlord is converting his house into PG, he follows the prescribed procedures.
That means an important question arises here.
If a large number of old houses in the area were being converted into multi-storey PGs and local people were raising questions about the condition of the buildings, then had the MCD conducted a systematic safety survey of the buildings in such areas? Was MCD informed before converting this building into PG?
