Delhi’s building collapses expose unsafe construction and lax enforcement

Investigators attributed the recent Saidulajab collapse to construction and excavation works that weakened the structure, something that went unnoticed till tragedy struck.

New Delhi: The death toll in Delhi’s Seemapuri building collapse has risen to five, with eight injured people rescued and shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Tahirpur. But beyond the immediate tragedy, the incident has revived a larger question confronting the capital: why do buildings continue to collapse despite repeated inspections, investigations and promises of stricter enforcement?

Seemapuri is the latest reminder of a recurring pattern. In September, a building housing a paying guest accommodation collapsed in Satya Niketan, killing seven people. In May, a building collapse in Saidulajab claimed six lives. These incidents, occurring in different parts of the city, have drawn attention to common vulnerabilities in Delhi’s built environment, including unauthorised construction, structural alterations and failures in regulatory oversight.

Investigations into previous disasters have pointed to preventable failures. A magisterial inquiry into the Saidulajab collapse flagged inadequate monitoring and enforcement by civic authorities, while investigators attributed the collapse to additional construction and basement excavation that weakened the structure. In Satya Niketan, officials reported that the collapsed building had no sanctioned building plan and included unauthorised construction.

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The underlying problem is not simply that buildings are old or that construction rules are violated. It is the combination of rapid urban expansion, intense demand for affordable housing, inadequate structural assessments and inconsistent enforcement that can allow unsafe buildings to remain occupied.