Within the span of a few days, Delhi witnessed two devastating tragedies in South Delhi. Last weekend, a building collapsed in Saidulajab near Saket Metro Station, claiming nearly a dozen lives. Before the city could fully absorb the shock, a fire tore through an unauthorised guesthouse in Malviya Nagar, killing 22 people.
At first glance, the two incidents may seem unrelated, but both emerged from the same ecosystem of negligence, corruption and weak enforcement. They underline an uncomfortable truth: rampant violations flourish in Delhi because regulatory authorities often turn a blind eye.
In Saidulajab, the greater loss was not inside the collapsed building but in a small eatery next door that was crushed under the debris. Frequented by students and job seekers surviving on cheap meals while preparing for competitive exams or searching for work, the collapse buried many young dreams beneath the rubble.
The Malviya Nagar fire told a similar story. Preliminary reports suggest that the guesthouse was operating in violation of several norms. Questions are being asked about fire safety measures, permissions and inspections. Yet such questions arise only after lives have been lost.
As is customary after such tragedies, allegations of corruption surfaced against officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other agencies. Suspensions were ordered, investigations initiated and assurances issued. Delhi has seen this script countless times. Buildings collapse, fires erupt, innocent people die, officials are suspended, committees submit reports and the system eventually returns to business as usual. Rarely is any serious wrongdoing conclusively established.
The Saidulajab tragedy is not an isolated incident. Similar building collapses and deadly fires in factories, warehouses and guesthouses have occurred across Delhi for years, exposing repeated violations of safety norms. The real question is not why such tragedies happen, but why the system continues to allow conditions that make them inevitable.
Delhi remains an economic and educational hub, drawing thousands seeking education and jobs. But while the city offers opportunity, it has failed to provide adequate and affordable infrastructure for those chasing it.
As a result, many migrants are forced to live in unauthorised constructions across urban villages and colonies. To meet rising demand, local landowners rapidly build multi-storeyed structures that often violate safety norms and sanctioned plans. Similarly, many commercial establishments ignore fire safety rules, while occupants accept the risks due to the lack of affordable legal alternatives.
None of this could happen without administrative complicity. It is an open secret that illegal construction and unsafe commercial activity flourish under the watch of regulatory authorities, particularly the MCD. In many cases, officials are accused not merely of overlooking violations but of facilitating them. When corruption becomes institutionalised, enforcement becomes selective and regulations become negotiable.
Historically, the MCD has remained difficult to manage, with limited political control over a vast bureaucracy where accountability is often diffused among officials, elected representatives, the Delhi Government and the Lieutenant Governor’s office. The result is a system where responsibility is constantly shifted.
This must change. When illegal buildings collapse or fatal fires occur, accountability should extend beyond owners to officials responsible for approvals, inspections and enforcement, with strict penalties including dismissal and criminal prosecution.
The Delhi Government’s Urban Development and Home Departments must also exercise meaningful oversight over the MCD and other related agencies. While local governance requires operational autonomy, autonomy cannot become a shield against accountability.
The political context today makes reform both possible and necessary. With the same political party exercising influence over the municipal corporation, the Delhi Government and the Union Government, there is little room for institutional blame-shifting. Citizens will judge governance not by statements of sympathy after disasters but by the ability to prevent them.
Sidharth Mishra
Author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice
