New Delhi: Panic gripped Rani Garden in East Delhi’s Krishna Nagar Assembly constituency on Wednesday after cracks suddenly appeared in a dilapidated building, raising concerns over the safety of the structure and nearby residents. The incident took place days after a paying guest accommodation collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan area, killing seven people, including five students.
Soon after being alerted about the incident, Krishna Nagar MLA Anil Goyal and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) reached the spot to assess the situation. Following an inspection, officials directed that the house be vacated at the earliest as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident.
The concerned department has also been instructed to examine the structural condition of the building and take necessary action. Authorities said the evacuation process would be initiated soon.
The incident has sparked fresh safety concerns among residents in the neighbourhood, who said timely intervention could help avert a major mishap. The development comes amid heightened concerns over the structural safety of residential buildings in the national capital following recent building-related incidents.
Meanwhile, cracks was also found in a four-storey PG accommodation in Chirag Delhi prompted a late-night evacuation, with students moved out as a safety measure. The cracks reportedly stretched from the main entrance towards the upper floors.
After cracks were found in the dilapidated building, the Delhi government took pre-emptive action without any delay and safely evacuated the students and made immediate arrangements for their stay.
Delhi Plans Tough New PG Rules
Notably, after the Satya Niketan building collapse, the Delhi government has proposed a new set of rules to regulate paying guest accommodations across the city.
The proposed ‘Paying Guest Accommodation Regulation and Welfare Bill’ seeks to bring PGs in major education hubs, including Mukherjee Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and North Campus, under a formal regulatory system.
Under the proposed rules, every PG in Delhi would have to be registered and obtain an operating licence from the zoning authority within 90 days. Operators would need no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the police, municipal corporation and local administration. Each registered PG would receive a unique Paying Guest Registration Number (PGRN). Details of verified PGs would also be available on a proposed single-window digital platform.