‘Students are far from safe’: DU's hostel crisis back in focus after 6 die in Satya Niketan PG collapse

The lack of hostel accommodation for Delhi University students is back in focus after the tragic collapse of a boys' paying guest (PG) accommodation in the Satya Niketan area claimed six lives.

According to news agency PTI, six people died and 11 others were rescued from the debris of a 50-year-old multi-storey building near Delhi University's South Campus. The building collapsed around 1:30 PM on Sunday.

Residents said most students staying in the locality were from Kerala, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and studied mainly at Motilal Nehru College, Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Sri Venkateswara College, all of which are located across the road.

Students, political leaders and social media users have questioned why the central university, which has more than 3 lakh students, has hostel accommodation for only about 4,000. Several student unions were also seen protesting for better hostel facilities following the building collapse.

‘Students are far from safe’

Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal reacted to the Satya Niketan PG collapse and said that students are not safe if they are accommodated in neighbourhoods with illegal PGs, hostels, and buildings that violate norms.

“When the university lacks hostel facilities, and you have accommodated students in this area, and then the roof collapses, the students are far from safe,” Sibal told news agency ANI. “It is truly distressing...”

Meanwhile, Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj said the party's student wing is protesting at multiple locations to demand students' right to accommodation.

“It is not the AAP that is staging the protest; rather, students are protesting at various locations. The AAP's student wing is present here,” Bharadwaj said, noting that they have only two demands. — “There should be PG accommodation for students. Until hostels are built, the government should pay its PG fees itself.”

“Delhi University is a Central University. All the land belongs to the Central Government of Delhi. You do things for everyone else, but until you build hostels for them, this harassment and exploitation will continue,” the AAP leader added.

‘Colleges keep increasing seats, but not hostel facilities’

A social media user pointed out that colleges under Delhi University keep adding seats to their courses every year. However, the hostel facilities have not been increased in tandem, or at all.

“…this is a much bigger problem around DU. Colleges keep increasing seats, but hostel facilities don't increase with them,” the user said. She noted that students end up paying insane rents for nearby PGs because nobody wants to travel for hours every day.

“PG owners keep building floor after floor in the greed for more rent, without caring about basic safety. Everything runs in black, rent is taken in cash, and even my PG aunty used to take the rent and electricity bill only in cash,” the user highlighted.

“Students come to Delhi thinking DU is affordable, only to end up paying huge rents to live in potentially unsafe buildings,” she noted. “Students shouldn't have to risk their lives just to study at DU.”

At the collapse site, a frustrated student told reporters that students are forced to stay in such illegal buildings “because there aren’t enough hostels.”

He pointed out that Delhi University has around 3 lakh students, but hostels are available for only about 4,000. “Why do students end up living in unauthorised buildings? Because there aren’t enough hostels. Why isn’t the BJP govt building more hostels? Ask the government that question,” the student said.

Before the news of the Satya Niketan building collapse was reported, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) posted a video highlighting the hostel issue.

“Hostels are a rarity in DU! Stanzin's fight is for all those students who are forced to live in dingy conditions. Hostels is a right, and it should be enforced!” SFI wrote in the X caption.

Delhi Traffic Police asks commuters to avoid stretches to aid rescue and relief ops

Delhi Traffic Police on Monday issued a traffic advisory, saying traffic movement has been affected on several key routes to aid rescue and relief operations at the Satya Niketan building collapse site.

“Following a building collapse at Satya Niketan Market, South Campus, rescue and relief operations are underway,” the Traffic Police said. “Emergency teams are working at the spot.”

Traffic movement is affected on routes from Safdarjung Hospital towards Dhaula Kuan, RTR, Benito Juarez Marg. “AVOID THESE STRETCHES, IF POSSIBLE.”

The traffic personnel asked commuters to use alternate routes and follow their directions. “Please do not stop, park or crowd near the incident site. Keep the way clear for ambulances and rescue vehicles. Your cooperation can help save lives.”