Satya Niketan neighborhood recovers slowly post-tragedy as students resume daily life

The neighbourhood surrounding the erstwhile Satya Niketan is slowly coming back to normal three weeks after the debacle.

Students are seen again sharing meals at fast food restaurants and gathering over tea and cigarettes. However, the pile of rubble where the building once stood remains a lingering memory of a tragedy.

However, the residents claim the student population is slowly decreasing, with shopkeepers complaining their sales have halved.


"The streets of Satya Niketan used to feel like a mela every day. It's not the same anymore," Pankaj, a cold-coffee kiosk owner, told TOI's G S Dhanush.

Read more: MCD demolishes 543 properties, seals 178 in 17 day crackdown after Satya Niketan building collapse

A property dealer opined that homeowners have become cautious of renting out their properties after the incident.

"Given time, everything will go back to normal. The students have no choice but to come back here as, after all, Delhi University does not have enough hostels to accommodate them."

Some students, due to proximity to colleges, 11-month rent agreements and the hassle of finding decent accommodations, affix them to the area. The days following the collapse saw many students leaving their PGs and flats,"some of us cannot afford to leave this place", said Fiza Rizvi, a student of Maitreyi College who stays in a five-storey PG.

Read more: Satya Niketan building collapse not ordinary mishap: Delhi HC

Seven people were arrested in relation to the collapse for failing to take adequate safety measures during construction and repair work carried on and around the premises.

According to Delhi building regulations, no more than four storeys can be constructed without stilt parking on the ground floor.

"I know the top floors have been illegally built, but I can't just pack up and leave," Rizvi told TOI.

Choosing to leave before her 11-month rent agreement expires would forfeit her security deposit, which is worth two months’ rent.

Sarthak Singwal, a sixth-semester student of Sri Venkateswara, told TOI he has decided to remain in Satya Niketan as wants to focus on academics rather than spending time hunting for a flat.

"We came to Delhi University with high hopes and expectations. Future batches will be apprehensive of choosing to study here," he said.

A student of Jesus and Mary College, not wishing to be named, said Satya Niketan was the first location that popped up when she searched for PGs online.

"I cannot just shift houses out of fear because something bad happened. A lot of places in Delhi are unsafe, so there is a lot to be considered before deciding anything. But I will definitely find a place somewhere else soon."

(With inputs from TOI)