New Delhi ( CNN ) -- A group of locals looked on warily as we filmed our piece inside a congested , riverside Delhi neighborhood . And they 've every reason to feel nervous . A number of deadly collapses in recent months have thrust the issue of illegally constructed and unsafe housing into the spotlight . On June 28 , a four-story building in the city suddenly toppled over killing 10 people , including five children . That same day , an eleven-floor building under construction came crashing down in the southern Indian city of Chennai , killing 61 workers . Both incidents made headlines outside India -- and rightly so . But for many of the people living in these neighborhoods , the publicity is not necessarily welcome . That 's because they 're among the poorest and most vulnerable -- on one hand they fear for the safety of their homes , and on the other they fear being forcibly evicted and their homes destroyed . They have nowhere else to go . So when TV crews arrive , many are understandably defensive . As we filmed in Laxmi Nagar , a neighborhood of eastern Delhi located along the Yamuna River , pockmarked with ramshackle residential blocks , a man approached us and questioned whether we had the right to film . `` You know , everyone gets worried when they see cameras pointing at their buildings , '' he explained . `` As the leader of this market association , we have to inquire about the purpose of your shoot . '' Safety codes ignored . This part of the city is no stranger to disaster . In 2010 , at least 65 people were killed when a building came down after its foundations had been weakened by rainwater . It 's not just Delhi ; decrepit constructions that do n't conform to safety codes are a big problem in cities and towns across India , says Chandan Ghosh , from the Indian home ministry 's National Institute of Disaster Management . He has surveyed Delhi 's structures for decades , and says most break basic building regulations . He says the problem is so pervasive that enforcement has become impossible . `` Our systems are not equipped to enforce engineering standards required to build safe houses . There 's a gross shortage of manpower , expertise -- and maybe will . '' The Delhi residential block that caved in on June 28 was built on a plot barely 19 square yards . With no pillars or beams to support its floors , it collapsed after neighbors starting removing earth to re-build their own house . Safety codes prescribe at least 150 square yards of land is required to construct a standard apartment , explains Ghosh . Buildings in Indian cities are often unplanned and strung together in cramped rows , without space between them . Experts say this can be disastrous if one is more structurally vulnerable than the others . Owners of buildings often sell off parts of these buildings to individuals , who then construct extensions . `` This type of housing is not unauthorized but remains extremely dangerous , '' says Ghosh . `` Unfortunately , it 's mushrooming all over without checks and balances . '' 'Disaster waiting to happen ' With rapid urbanization occurring since India liberalized its economy in the 1990s , New Delhi 's population has grown exponentially to almost 17 million -- more than 21 % in the past decade , census figures show . To make matters worse , Indian authorities believe the Indian capital is vulnerable to seismic activity . In 1999 , an 6.5 magnitude earthquake some 173 miles ( 280 kilometers ) from Delhi caused some damage to buildings in the city , but raised fears about the potential harm from another temblor of similar intensity happening nearer . It 's a `` disaster waiting to happen , '' according to Ghosh . According to Delhi 's disaster-management department website , `` Pockets with high-rise buildings or ill-designed high-risk areas exist without specific consideration of earthquake resistance . Similarly , unplanned settlements with sub-standard structures are also prone to heavy damage even in moderate shaking . '' Yet people have to continue to put themselves at risk because they 've nowhere else to go . `` A lethal cocktail of unethical constructions , substandard material ( and ) a lack of enforcement ... are endangering countless lives , '' says Ghosh . `` These fatal incidents happening every now and then are a warning . It 's time all stakeholders , including citizens , took it seriously . '' Meantime , two injured survivors mourn their loved ones at the site of last month 's Delhi collapse . His head bandaged , Naeem recalled how he literally rode the wave of debris when he tumbled four floors down . Underneath the rubble were his wife and three children , who all died . `` I had just freshened myself up on the terrace . My wife and children were on lower floors . Suddenly , there was this boom . The building was down , '' he recalls . Abdul Rashid was also pulled out alive , suffering only bruising . But tragically , he too lost his wife and children . Both men blame the neighbors for digging on ground their houses stood on . `` There 's no strong action against them . We will stage a protest to demand that , '' Rashid warns . Their neighbor , an unnamed man , has been charged with negligence , and faces a two-year jail term or fine upon conviction , police say .
Delhi has seen a number of deadly building collapses in recent months . On recent months , building collapses in India and India claimed at least 65 lives . Critics point to a lack of safety enforcement and the use of substandard materials .