Delhi University students vacate PGs, leave Satya Niketan after building collapse

A deadly building collapse in Satya Niketan has pushed Delhi University students out of nearby PGs as parents rush to bring them home. The fallout has sharpened concerns over costly, poorly maintained student housing and scarce safer options near South Campus.Delhi University students vacate PGs, leave Satya Niketan after building collapseFor Delhi University students living in PG accommodations in Satya Niketan, Sunday’s building collapse has made a familiar neighbourhood suddenly feel unsafe. Parents are asking their children to return home midway through the academic session, while some students have begun packing their bags and leaving the area.A five-storey PG building in Satya Niketan collapsed on Sunday while repair work was reportedly underway in its basement. The building, estimated to be 40 to 50 years old, was being used as student accommodation.On Monday, the impact was visible beyond the rescue site, with students leaving nearby PGs and parents arriving to take their children home or move them to safer accommodation.‘MY PARENTS ASKED ME TO LEAVE’One Delhi University student living in a PG around 300 metres from the collapsed building told India Today that her parents were worried about her safety and asked her to move to her uncle’s house. “I was here only yesterday. I got to know about the collapse through my friends, who were constantly calling to check whether I was safe. Since then, the atmosphere has become very sad and tense. My parents are also worried, so they have asked me to move to my uncle’s place for my own safety,” said the DU student. The student, who has lived in the area for around two years, pays more than 15,000 a month for her PG. Depending on the floor and accommodation, rents can go up to Rs 20,000 or more, she added. Yet high rents do not necessarily translate into better living conditions.“There is always waterlogging. Even if it rains for 10 minutes, the roads get flooded. You cannot even walk properly,” she said, adding that she felt safe inside her own PG but remained concerned about the wider area.PARENTS ARRIVE, STUDENTS PACK THEIR BAGSFurthermore, the fear is now spreading among students who live in different PGs and flats across Satya Niketan. A group of students who came to check on friends living in the locality said their first reaction after hearing about the collapse was to call everyone they knew.“We have many friends who live in PGs and flats here. After the incident, we came to check whether they were okay,” one student said. Another said the building that collapsed was in an area they regularly visited.“We were there just a day before. We go there for shops and other things. So when we heard the news, it was very shocking,” he said. Students also pointed to the lack of basic security in some PGs. Some, they said, do not have security guards at the entrance, while others have guards who leave during breaks.Another student said parents had begun calling their children back home. One student from Sonipat was asked by her family to leave almost immediately after the news broke.“Her parents immediately called her and told her to come home and get out of there,” the student said. ‘WHERE WILL WE STAY IN THE LONG RUN?’For students from outside Delhi, however, leaving Satya Niketan is easier said than done. Three students from Rajasthan, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh said they could temporarily move out, but eventually they would have to return because they still had a year or more of college left.“We might leave for a while until things settle down, but what about the long run? We have to come back here,” one student said. The alternatives are limited. Students said most PGs in the area have similar four- or five-storey structures, comparable rents and similar problems.They cited poor ventilation, sewage issues, inadequate water supply, cramped rooms and a lack of proper emergency escape plans.“Every PG here is almost the same. If we leave one, where do we go?” a student said. The cost is another barrier. A PG charging Rs 15,000 a month may require another Rs 15,000 as a security deposit, meaning a student could have to pay Rs 30,000 upfront.THE BIGGER ACCOMMODATION PROBLEMThe collapse has also brought renewed attention to the larger accommodation crisis faced by Delhi University students.Students pointed out that thousands study in and around South Campus, while university accommodation remains limited. They questioned why students are forced to depend so heavily on privately run PGs in neighbourhoods where safety and maintenance can be concerns.The collapsed building itself was around 40 to 50 years old and had a basement and five upper floors, according to Delhi Police. It was being used as a boys’ PG, and repair work was underway in the basement when it collapsed. Police have registered an FIR against the building owner.The incident has now left students facing a difficult choice: stay in expensive PGs that they say often have poor facilities, or leave the neighbourhood without knowing where they can find safer and affordable accommodation.For many, the question is no longer simply where they will live near DU. It is whether they can feel safe living there at all.- EndsPublished By: Apoorva AnandPublished On: Sep 7, 2026 17:40 IST