New Delhi [India], September 8 (ANI): The Supreme Court has indicated that it will examine the issue of the recent PG building collapse in South Delhi’s Satya Niketan that has killed seven students so far and injured many others, on a pan-India basis.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan has listed the case for a hearing on Thursday.
The courts’ observation followed a mention of the September 6 building collapse tragedy by senior advocate Ajit Sinha, who is a Court-appointed amicus curiae in an earlier matter where the apex court has been seeking regulatory compliance of its directions on illegal buildings and structures across the country.
Earlier today, Sinha noted in his report that the Satya Niketan incident assumes significance as the locality had witnessed another building collapse in April 2022, in which two people were killed, and four others were injured.
“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”, the amicus report says.
The report noted that construction-related work was being undertaken in or around the basement and that there were reports of waterlogging in the basement immediately before the latest collapse.
Consequently, the amicus has sought a time-bound inspection and safety audit of PGs, private hostels, and similar student-accommodation establishments around colleges and universities across Delhi.
The proposed audit seeks checks on sanctioned building plans, actual construction and number of floors, basement construction and alterations, land use, structural and fire safety, ingress and egress, and dangerous or ruinous conditions. (ANI)
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