The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over the growing commercial use of residential properties in Delhi while hearing matters linked to the Satya
Niketan building collapse, which killed seven people and reignited questions over illegal construction and unsafe student accommodations in the national capital. Hearing the matter, the court observed that residential buildings were increasingly being packed with commercial establishments without adequate safety measures. When amicus curiae Ajit Kumar Sinha informed the bench that many residential properties were being used as gyms, coaching centres, BPOs and other commercial establishments, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah remarked: “They pack them like sardines, hundreds in one room... and no proper ingress and egress.” The court sought status reports from all concerned authorities, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi government, by September 15. The direction came after the MCD apprised the court of the actions taken following the Satya Niketan tragedy. Sinha told the court that the issue extended beyond a single building collapse and reflected a larger pattern of misuse of residential premises across Delhi. Referring to earlier court orders on illegal commercial activity in residential areas, he said many properties were being converted into paying guest accommodations, student hostels and commercial establishments in violation of planning and safety norms. According to the amicus, two key issues emerge from the Satya Niketan incident: illegal construction and misuse of residential properties. He further submitted that the collapse must be viewed in the broader context of the concentration of PG accommodations and private hostels around colleges and universities. Such facilities, he said, are often operated from residential buildings that may have undergone unauthorised additions, alterations or changes in land use. The court was told that the extent to which these properties comply with sanctioned building plans, building bye-laws, structural safety standards, permissible land-use norms and fire-safety regulations requires verification by competent authorities. The observations come days after a five-storey PG building in Satya Niketan, a major student hub near Delhi University’s South Campus, collapsed, killing seven people and injuring several others. The tragedy triggered a crackdown on unsafe structures and renewed calls for stricter regulation of PG accommodations, hostels and commercial establishments operating from residential properties. The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter again after receiving reports from the MCD, Delhi government and other authorities next week.
