Cracked Walls, Weak Ceilings: 108 Delhi School Buildings Found Unsafe, 7 Cleared For Demolition

Cracks in walls and ceilings, deteriorating toilets and classrooms operating under temporary tin roofs have triggered a major safety review of Delhi's government schools. The Delhi government has identified 108 school buildings as "unsafe" or "dangerous" and has initiated structural audits to determine whether they need repairs, partial demolition, or complete reconstruction.

Of these, 54 buildings have been found to be in very poor condition. Seven have already received approval for demolition and are likely to be razed in the coming months.

Cracks, Tin Roofs And Broken Washrooms

Officials said some of the affected buildings were constructed 30 to 40 years ago and have deteriorated over time. In some schools, students are attending classes under tin roofs, while cracks have appeared in walls and ceilings. Toilets and washrooms at certain campuses are also in poor condition and lack proper windows or doors. The findings have raised concerns about the safety of students, teachers, and other school employees who use the buildings every day.

CM Orders Urgent Safety Audit

The matter was recently discussed at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who directed the Education Department and the Public Works Department to expedite structural audits and ensure the timely removal of unsafe structures.

Officials said the exercise was being carried out to prevent any incident that could endanger students, teachers, and other school staff. CM Rekha Gupta had earlier ordered a wider audit of government schools after an inspection at a school in Delhi's Roop Nagar revealed issues with drinking water, sanitation, and fire-safety arrangements.

Seven Schools Headed For Demolition

The seven buildings cleared for demolition include CM SHRI School in Chilla Village, Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Jasola Village, Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Karala, and Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Baprola.

The list also includes Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Matiala and government girls' schools in Neb Sarai and Shivaji Park. The proposals have received approval from the competent authority, identified in the official document as the Lieutenant Governor. The buildings are expected to be demolished once the remaining technical and procedural requirements are completed.

54 More Demolition Proposals In The Pipeline

According to officials, 54 demolition proposals are under process or being submitted for joint inspection ahead of structural audits. Fourteen other proposals have received approval for structural audits, after which the PWD will submit survey reports identifying the portions that may need to be demolished. Seven proposals have already received demolition approval. The publicly reported categories do not account for the final status of all 108 buildings. The remaining structures may require repairs, retrofitting, partial demolition, or further technical assessment.

No Demolition Without Technical Clearance

A building will not be demolished solely on the basis of a preliminary inspection. Before a proposal is finalised, the PWD will conduct a detailed structural audit, identify unsafe or dangerous portions of the building, and prepare a cost estimate. Demolition will proceed only after the required technical recommendations and statutory approvals have been obtained, officials said. The assessment will also determine whether an entire building needs to be pulled down or if only certain blocks need to be removed and rebuilt.

Students May Be Shifted To Nearby Schools

The buildings will be removed in phases to avoid disrupting classes across several schools at once. In the first phase, the government is expected to take up 54 buildings. Students may be shifted temporarily to nearby schools. Demolition could also be carried out block by block or outside regular school hours. Officials said the phased approach would allow the government to prioritise the most dangerous structures while continuing classes wherever possible.

AAP-Era School Buildings Also Under Scrutiny

PWD engineers have also inspected some school buildings constructed just three or four years ago after signs of wear and deterioration were detected. These newer buildings were constructed or completed during the tenure of the previous Aam Aadmi Party government. However, this does not mean that all 108 unsafe buildings were constructed during the AAP government's tenure.

Several of the affected structures are 30 to 40 years old and existed long before the party came to power in Delhi. Structural audits are expected to establish when each building was constructed or renovated, the nature of the defects, and whether the damage resulted from poor construction, inadequate maintenance, or ageing infrastructure. Responsibility for defects in recently constructed buildings can be determined only after technical reports examine construction quality, maintenance records, and previous repair work.

Every School Building To Get A Digital Profile

The Directorate of Education is also carrying out digital profiling of school buildings across the city. The exercise will assess structural stability as well as electrical installations, plumbing, drinking-water facilities, sanitation, and fire-safety systems. Drone surveys, GPS tagging, and 360-degree images will be used to create detailed digital profiles of campuses.

Buildings with serious structural weaknesses may be referred to specialist technical institutions for further assessment. The digital database is intended to help authorities determine whether a building should be retained, repaired, retrofitted, or demolished.

Earthquake-Resistant G+4 Schools Planned

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

Officials said the new buildings would increase the number of classrooms, reduce overcrowding, and improve the student-to-classroom ratio. Delhi has around 1,270 government and government-aided schools under the Directorate of Education. Individual structural-audit reports will determine which campuses can continue operating, which need urgent evacuation, and which must be rebuilt from the ground up.