Delhi flags 108 government school buildings as unsafe, 7 cleared for demolition

Delhi's Education Department has identified 108 government school buildings as structurally unsafe or dangerous and has begun detailed structural audits to determine whether the campuses require repairs, partial demolition, or complete reconstruction.

Officials said 54 of the buildings are in extremely poor condition, while seven have already received approval for demolition after the necessary clearances. The exercise is aimed at ensuring the safety of students, teachers, and school staff.

According to officials, several of the affected buildings are 30 to 40 years old and have deteriorated over time.

Inspections found cracked walls and ceilings, classrooms functioning under temporary tin roofs, and toilets in poor condition with inadequate doors and windows, raising concerns over the condition of school infrastructure.

The issue was recently reviewed at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who directed the Education Department and the Public Works Department (PWD) to expedite structural audits and remove unsafe structures at the earliest.

The safety review follows an earlier inspection by the chief minister at a government school in Roop Nagar, where deficiencies related to drinking water, sanitation, and fire safety were identified, prompting a broader assessment of school infrastructure across the capital.

The seven buildings approved for demolition include CM SHRI School in Chilla Village, Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Jasola Village, Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Karala, Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Baprola, Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Matiala, and government girls' schools in Neb Sarai and Shivaji Park.

Officials said the proposals have been cleared by the competent authority, identified in official records as the Lieutenant Governor, and demolition will begin after the remaining procedural and technical formalities are completed.

Besides these, proposals for demolition of another 54 buildings are being processed or are awaiting joint inspections before structural audits. Fourteen additional buildings have been approved for structural audits, following which the PWD will submit reports identifying unsafe portions and recommending whether demolition is required.

Officials said the status of the remaining buildings among the 108 identified structures will depend on the outcome of technical assessments, which may recommend repairs, retrofitting, partial demolition, or complete reconstruction.

Authorities said no building will be demolished solely on the basis of an initial inspection. The PWD will first conduct a detailed structural audit, identify unsafe sections, prepare cost estimates, and obtain all statutory approvals before any demolition is undertaken.

The technical assessment will also determine whether an entire building or only specific blocks need to be rebuilt.

The government plans to carry out demolition in phases to minimize disruption to academic activities. In the first phase, work is expected to begin on 54 buildings.

Students may be temporarily shifted to nearby schools, while demolition could also be scheduled outside school hours or carried out block by block to allow classes to continue wherever feasible.

PWD engineers have also inspected some school buildings constructed three to four years ago after signs of deterioration were reported. These buildings were built or completed during the previous Aam Aadmi Party government.

Officials, however, clarified that not all 108 unsafe buildings belong to that period, with many of the affected structures predating the AAP government's tenure by several decades.

The ongoing structural audits are expected to establish the age of each building, the nature of the defects, and whether the damage is linked to construction quality, inadequate maintenance, or aging infrastructure.

The Directorate of Education has also launched a citywide digital profiling exercise for school buildings.

The initiative will evaluate structural stability along with electrical systems, plumbing, drinking water facilities, sanitation, and fire safety infrastructure. Authorities will use drone surveys, GPS tagging, and 360-degree imaging to create digital records of each campus.

Buildings found to have significant structural deficiencies may be referred to specialist technical institutions for further evaluation. The digital database will support decisions on whether individual buildings should be retained, repaired, retrofitted, or demolished.

Following demolition, the government plans to replace unsafe structures with permanent earthquake-resistant G+4 school buildings. Proposals have also been initiated to construct similar G+4 school buildings on 27 vacant plots under the Directorate of Education.

Officials said the new infrastructure is expected to increase classroom capacity, reduce overcrowding, and improve the student-to-classroom ratio across Delhi's nearly 1,270 government and government-aided schools.

Individual structural audit reports will determine which campuses can continue functioning and which require evacuation or complete reconstruction.