The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has ordered the immediate sealing of all illegal constructions exceeding four floors following the collapse of a five-storey building in Satya Niketan that left six people dead and several others injured.
The civic body also warned that officials found guilty of negligence in allowing such violations would face strict action, including immediate dismissal.
“These orders will be implemented with immediate effect,” the MCD said on Sunday.
The collapsed building at Satya Niketan was being used as a paying-guest accommodation. A large rescue operation was carried out by the Delhi Fire Services, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police after several people were trapped under the rubble.
Satya Niketan building had no sanctioned plan
According to an MCD report, the property, identified as P-14 Satya Niketan, stood on a plot measuring around 55 square yards and consisted of a basement and floors from the ground level up to the fourth floor. The structure was reportedly constructed in the 1990s.
The civic report said there was no record of any booking or sealing of the property and no complaints had been received regarding construction work there.
However, a senior civic official said the building had no sanctioned plan and that construction work carried out in the basement was unauthorised.
The official said changes to the basement of an existing structure could not have been legally permitted because such work could pose safety risks.
“The failure of the field staff to detect the activity” is now under scrutiny, the official said.
Fifth floor also under scanner
Officials have also raised questions over the presence of a fifth floor, saying it was not permitted under Floor Area Ratio (FAR) regulations.
The MCD has begun examining construction and structural changes made to the property before the collapse. Authorities are investigating whether unauthorised alterations or renovation work weakened the building.
Police have registered an FIR against owner Hariram Bansal and others. However, the exact cause of the collapse has not yet been established.
Six people dead, several injured
The AIIMS JPN Apex Trauma Centre received 10 patients following the collapse. Five people were brought dead, while another person who was initially critically injured later died during treatment.
Three patients remained admitted for treatment. One underwent limb surgery, while another suffered minor injuries and was discharged after observation.
Why Satya Niketan became a student hub
Satya Niketan was among around 45 resettlement colonies developed in Delhi during the 1970s. Its proximity to Delhi University’s South Campus gradually transformed the neighbourhood into a major hub for student accommodation.
With demand for rooms increasing, property owners have increasingly expanded existing structures by adding rooms and floors, according to civic officials.
The MCD is now examining whether such unauthorised expansions contributed to safety risks in the area.
The latest sealing order comes as authorities face scrutiny over how unauthorised construction and structural modifications were allowed to continue despite potential risks to occupants.
