The report said the Satyaniketan accident also needs to be seen in the context of the "larger concentration of PG accommodations and private hostels in areas surrounding colleges and universities in Delhi". (File Photo)Days after seven people were killed in the Satya Niketan building collapse, the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae Tuesday urged the court to order a time-bound safety audit of PG accommodations, private hostels, and other student housing in and around colleges and universities across Delhi.In a status report, Senior Advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, the amicus curiae in the matter, said that though the top court is already seized of the issue and has constituted a committee to inspect buildings in Lajpat Nagar, Saket, and Malviya Nagar, “Satya Niketan did not fall within the scope of the inspection”.The report, filed through Advocate Govind Jee, pointed out that Satya Niketan, located near Delhi University South Campus, has “emerged as a major hub for student accommodation, with a large number of PG accommodations, hostels, messes, eateries and other commercial establishments operating in the area.”“The present incident is also required to be viewed in the context of an earlier building collapse in Satya Niketan in April 2022, in which two persons lost their lives, and four others were injured. The recurrence of such an incident in the same locality raises serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of the existing mechanism for inspection, identification of dangerous structures and enforcement of building bye-laws.”Time-bound inspection and safety auditThe report said the Satyaniketan accident also needs to be seen in the context of the “larger concentration of PG accommodations and private hostels in areas surrounding colleges and universities in Delhi”. “Such establishments are often operated from residential properties which may have undergone additions, alterations or changes in use”.“The extent to which such premises comply with sanctioned building plans, applicable building bye-laws, permissible land use, structural safety requirements and fire-safety norms requires verification by the competent authorities.”Also Read | After 7 die in Satya Niketan collapse, PIL seeks hostel policy for Delhi“In these circumstances, it would be appropriate that the inspection exercise be extended beyond the areas “presently identified by the Supreme Court, and that authorities concerned “undertake a time-bound inspection and safety audit of PG accommodations, private hostels and similar student-accommodation establishments situated in and around colleges and universities across Delhi.”Story continues below this ad“Such exercise ought to include verification of: (i) sanctioned building plans; (ii) actual construction and number of floors; (iii) basement construction and alterations; (iv) permissible land use; (v) structural safety; (vi) fire-safety compliance; (vii) means of ingress and egress; and (viii) the existence of any dangerous or ruinous condition.”Explained | Why DU hostels accommodate few, and the price others payThe amicus pointed out that the inspection of Lajpat Nagar and other areas was completed on September 3. “During the course of the said inspection, the Committee is stated to have found certain buildings situated in Saidulajab, Saket and Lajpat Nagar to be in a precarious and unsafe condition. The report of the Committee is presently under preparation and is expected to be placed before this Hon’ble Court shortly.”It added that “the precise cause and circumstances leading to the collapse are currently under investigation.”“However, the preliminary material presently available indicates that construction-related work was being undertaken in or around the basement, and there were also reports of water logging in the basement immediately prior to the incident.”Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 26 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with the daily newspaper, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More Tags:delhi Building collapsesupreme court