Delhi's unsafe neighbourhoods and the human cost of unauthorised growth

Tahir Khan, 35, remembers the day he received his waiter's uniform. The job paid ₹12,000 a month, barely enough for his family of four, but he had no other option after losing a previous job that paid ₹16,000.

He was told to greet guests and serve food in the four-story structure that operated as Lemon Green B&B in Hauz Rani. A year into the job, on June 5, the hotel was sealed as part of a crackdown on illegal establishments. The action followed a fire at another B&B in the area that killed 23 people.

"How would I know the hotel was illegal? It seemed like a professional set-up to me. I needed the money. Why would I even care if it was illegal? I don’t have the luxury to care about such things when I have a family of four to provide for," Khan said. He returned to his home, a single, dimly lit room in Hauz Rani where his wife stitches clothes.

Khan's situation mirrors that of millions in Delhi's nearly 1,800 unauthorized colonies. These areas, often populated by migrant workers, are typically built on private or agricultural land without formal planning or approvals for structural or fire safety. Hauz Rani itself grew out of a small agricultural village, driven by the demand for land near upscale neighborhoods like Saket.

“

How would I know the hotel was illegal? It seemed like a professional set-up to me. I needed the money. Why would I even care if it was illegal? I don’t have the luxury to care about such things when I have a family of four to provide for.