Delhi PG Collapse: Unsafe Buildings, Missing Safety Checks & The Accountability Question

Delhi’s PG hostel collapse has once again put the city’s unsafe student-housing ecosystem under the scanner. An ageing building being used as PG accommodation reportedly collapsed while repair work was underway in the basement. But the questions go beyond one building. Thousands of students live in cramped PGs, rented rooms and converted properties, often amid concerns over structural safety, occupancy limits and fire norms. From the 2024 Rajinder Nagar coaching-centre basement deaths to the 2026 Malviya Nagar fire that killed at least 23 people, repeated tragedies have exposed serious safety and enforcement failures. Delhi has rules and enforcement agencies—but why does accountability so often come only after lives are lost?