Inside Satya Niketan’s ‘Caged’ PG Rooms – ₹25,000 Rent, Little Safety

When a five‑storey PG building in Satya Niketan gave way on a Sunday afternoon, seven lives were lost and six more injured. The sudden crush turned a routine conversation about hostel shortages into a nightmare that now haunts the South Campus of Delhi University.

What makes the story even more unsettling is what students said about the place before it fell. A‑dit​i Verma, studying at Maitreyi College, tells us a single‑bed slot in a shared room fetches ₹25,000 a month – and that’s before a security deposit of ₹66,000 is demanded. “There’s nothing but a fan and a hot‑meal,” she adds, describing the room as a tiny cage without a window.

For many, a single‑bed isn’t even an option. Palak, a student from Alwar, says the only choices are triple or quadruple sharing, with rents hovering between ₹25,000 and ₹30,000. The rooms are cramped, air‑less, and often lack any air‑conditioning. “You feel like you’re living in a box,” she says, shaking her head.

Sharing goes beyond beds. Aniket from Maharashtra pays ₹5,000 a month for a three‑person room, yet ten strangers end up queuing for one toilet. “It’s ridiculous, but we have no other place to go,” he explains, blaming the dearth of university hostels for the overcrowding.

Bittu, a student from Bihar, lives in a windowless cell lit by a single bulb. He pays ₹8,000 plus an extra ₹1,000‑₹1,500 for electricity. “The fan barely moves the air,” he says, highlighting how these PGs compromise even basic comfort.

Local students say the landlords exploit the desperation that follows each new semester. They market Satya Niketan as a “safe, upscale neighbourhood,” yet many nearby buildings are old, structurally weak, and, according to residents, on the brink of another collapse.

Authorities have now stepped in. Delhi’s chief minister announced a committee to review PG regulations, order structural audits, and push for more legitimate student housing. A public interest litigation has also been filed, seeking compensation for victims and a city‑wide safety check of all PGs.

Until those measures materialise, the tragedy serves as a stark reminder: a ₹25,000 rent tag does not guarantee safety, and students continue to trade comfort for proximity to their classes.