New Delhi:

The Delhi High Court ripped into police and city officials in equal measure Friday in a hearing on the deaths last week of three students in the flooded – by rainwater and sewage from a clogged drain – basement of an IAS exam tuition centre. “Some officer has to be liable. These people must be alive.”

A furious court asked serious questions of the Municipal Corporation and its ability to plan and maintain city infrastructure, particularly in times of crises like floods. “They are not equipped to deal with it… maybe they don’t understand how civic planning works. MCD officials are responsible for ensuring drains are functional… there is criminal negligence. It is not a swimming pool here.”

The court also made several pointed remarks about the infrastructure in the national capital; on Wednesday it had summoned the MCD Director.

READ | “Anyone From MCD Jailed?” Court Asks Cops On Basement Deaths

Appearing today, the Director was asked – “Why is water getting accumulated in the area” – and the response came, “Drain alongside road should be functional”. The Director did not, however, explain why the water did not clear. The court then criticised the civic body for “not doing anything”.

“Ensure Drains Function”: Court Rebukes MCD

“If a portion of the drain was under repair… someone should have done something. Why was the officer not aware of all this? You need not be a scientist to expect heavy rainfall this monsoon.”

“Water won’t spare anyone. It doesn’t know address… you have to ensure drains function,” the court thundered, two days after reprimanding the MCD, “You permit multi-storey buildings but there is no proper drain. You have mixed sewage with storm water drain, there is reverse flow…”

READ | Delhi Coaching Centre Loses Fire Safety Nod After Basement Tragedy

The court told the MCD chief, “You must ensure water has a way to flow. If drainage needs to be revamped, do it this winter. Prepare a plan. When it rained again day before, there was flooding again in the area. There is something fundamentally wrong. There is clear neglect on part of your officials.”

READ | Area Where IAS Aspirants Died Flooded Again After More Rain

The Delhi High Court also asked how building plans – which included use of the basement in violation of permits – had been sanctioned, and asked Delhi Police if they had taken action in that context.

Delhi Police Under Fire

“You (the cops) are not ordinary citizens who have to wait… Why are you asking us to say all this? You are not a novice. You think criminals will come and confess?” the court asked sarcastically.

“Has the IO (investigating officer) recorded that the drain was dysfunctional? Does s/he know who the building’s architects are? Has he interrogated them?” the court demanded of the police and then expressed further dismay when told even MCD officials’ statements had not, so far, been recorded.

The court also took a jibe at the cops’ decision to arrest the man who drove an SUV through the flooded street; the cops claimed  the swell of floodwater as the car passed led to the tragedy and accused him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. That charge was dropped and the man released on bail. 

READ | “Didn’t Challan Water?” Court Jabs Delhi Cops, CBI To Probe Deaths

Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav – both 25 – and Navin Delvin, 28 – drowned last week after the basement of a building in Rajendra Nagar, operating as Rau’s IAS Study Circle, was flooded. Inquiries have unearthed multiple violations by the owners of the building and coaching centre, including using the basement without due clearance and lying to obtain a certificate from the Fire Department.

There have also been massive protests – led by the student community – against the lack of flood control infrastructure, or even storm water drains that work as they should. The street outside the coaching centre was flooded after heavy rains in the preceding 24-48 hours, but blocked drains meant the floodwater did not clear and, as more rain fell, it poured into the building’s basement.

READ | “Being Treated Like Criminals…” Students Protest Basement Deaths

“Rain water won’t go. It will reach your house… my house. It won’t go if it won’t get a path,” the court said, “Today even Yamuna is encroached. There is one lawyer… he files many PILs (public interest litigations)… he claimed a five km stretch of the Yamuna has been reduced to 500 m,” the court said today, warning, as many have, “If encroachments are not removed, flooding will happen (again).”

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New Delhi:

In his report on the basement tragedy at Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar that left three IAS aspirants dead, Delhi government’s Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar has blamed the coaching centre for encroachment that blocked drains and accused minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of sitting on a key legislation to tackle waterlogging in the national capital.

This is the Chief Secretary’s response after Mr Bharadwaj, who holds multiple portfolios including flood control, sought an explanation about the bureaucrat’s claims of pending decisions.

The Chief Secretary has said that a meeting was convened after heavy rain last year led to waterlogging in the city to come up with a comprehensive strategy to prevent flooding, according to sources.

The meeting found that there was a need to consolidate drainage management in Delhi for 18 years and emphasised on the requirement for a Storm Water and Drainage Act with penal provisions for encroachment and dumping of waste into these drains. The meeting also called for a Master Drainage Plan for Delhi.

These findings, he has said, were submitted to the minister in August 2023 and remained with him for consideration till February this year. It was only after that gap of five months that the minister asked for a presentation, the senior official has said.

He has added that the Irrigation and Flood Control Department has not taken any decision yet on bringing a Storm Water and Drainage Act. On the Master Drainage Plan, the Chief Secretary has said that an IIT Delhi report on this was not accepted by Aam Aadmi Party government. It was then decided that three separate drainage plans would be prepared, but no substantive work has taken place so far.

The report says that the draft of the Storm Water Drainage Act is still pending with the minister and pointed out that such a legislation would impact the rainwater management in the national capital.

The storm water drainage system in Delhi, the Chief Secretary has said, cannot be controlled without a proper legislative framework and this situation leads to flooding in several areas whenever there is heavy rain.

What Led To Basement Tragedy

On the Rajinder Nagar incident, the Chief Secretary has pointed to the findings of the probe conducted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The construction of ramps in violation of norms has blocked the entry of drains through which rainwater can be drained out, the report says. Manholes and drains in the area have been covered by granite or marble or kota stones, and this has made cleaning of drains impossible.

So every time there is heavy rain, water accumulates on the road along which the coaching centres are located. This water, which should have been disposed off through drains, moves towards the parking area and the basements.

At Rau’s IAS Study Circle, where Saturday’s tragedy took place, the drainage system has been blocked completely and no safeguards to meet any eventuality are in the place, the report says.

The Blame Game Continues

This Chief Secretary’s report is the latest episode in the blame game in the aftermath of the basement tragedy. The deaths of Tanya Soni, Shreya Yadav and Nevin Dalwin have sparked massive protests by students who blame civic negligence for the tragedy. The Opposition BJP has targeted the ruling AAP, which also controls the MCD. AAP has hit back, alleging a big conspiracy and corruption in desilting work in the national capital. Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the work of removing silt from drains and sewers was not done properly due to the negligence of officers of PWD, MCD and Irrigation and Flood Control Department. He said that Delhi government can neither transfer these officers nor take any action against them and only Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena can do so.

AAP’s Rajinder Nagar MLA Durgesh Pathak has questioned why no work on Delhi’s drainage system was done in the past 15-20 years. “The BJP should have shame. We demand action against all officers, including the senior officers who are found responsible,” he told ANI.

New Delhi:

Amid the Delhi civic body’s crackdown on coaching institutes for violating norms after the deaths of three IAS aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar due to drowning on Tuesday, founder and MD of Drishti IAS, Dr. Vikas Divyakirti, said there are more than 1000 coaching institutions in the national capital but not one has a no objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department.

Explaining the complexities, he said the fire department argues that since the building is commercial, the certificate should be for commercial purposes, while MCD demands for an educational certificate.

The incident occurred at Rau’s Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on Saturday evening after heavy rains.

In an interview with ANI, Mr Divyakirti said that they had a meeting with the Delhi LG on Tuesday. Some students had also come to that meeting and there were also owners of many institutes. There were also top officials of the Delhi government, from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the fire department, and the Chief Secretary.

“When we ask for the certificate from the fire department, they ask us to come through the MCD or DDA. We discussed this in the meeting today. The fire department has assured us that they will make a system through which we can take the certificate directly from them. Even if we get the certificate from the fire department, it is mentioned in it that since the building is commercial, the certificate is also for commercial purposes. MCD says that they want an educational certificate. To the best of my knowledge, not even one educational institution has an educational building certificate. Only colleges, schools, and universities get this. This also happened because before 2020, according to the DDA, we were not in the educational category; we were in the commercial category. According to GST, coaching institutes still come in the commercial category,” he said.

He said that even if they get permission in the future to run the institute in the basement, they will not work and will also try to ensure that not a single coaching institute should run in the basement.

Pointing to the contradiction in the norms of the DDA, MCD and Delhi Fire Department, he said, “Why are we not getting the NOC? DDA believes that this is the work of MCD and MCD says that this is the work of DDA. MCD has written many letters to DDA, and DDA has also replied to various letters and even said that they don’t have the documents and you have to see them. In the last meeting in the High Court, the DDA said for the first time that they were giving the rights to the MCD, and now the MCD in the hearing that is scheduled to take place on Wednesday may give us permission.”

Notably, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sealed the basements of several coaching institutes in the national capital in a crackdown on “illegally run establishments”.

“We completely agree that the basement should be sealed. But Delhi Metro runs in the basement, underground, and Palika Bazar is in the basement itself. Almost every mall in Delhi has very big shopping complexes in the basement because the basement has been built properly,” he said.

Agreeing that coaching centres should not be run in the basement, he said, “I am saying on record that we have submitted the complete layout structure of the basement to MCD, DDA, and the fire department for NOC, and there has been no rejection from there till now. But despite this, after seeing the incident that happened in the last 3 days, I feel that this was carelessness. The thought never came to our minds, and I am saying very openly that even if we get permission in future, we will not work in the basement. I assure you of this and not a single coaching institute should run in the basement.”

When asked about why he is being targeted in the coaching centre tragedy, Mr Divyakirti said that everyone wants a scapegoat as it makes things easier for the administration.

“I am getting targeted because, in such cases, everyone wants a scapegoat. It makes things easier for the administration, they think they are safe; they let that one person suffer, and even society feels that they have got the accused…The students are going through an emotional turmoil, and the reason for their anger is why I did not stand with them…The sealing action took place in more than 50 institutes, one of which is ours,” he said.

Speaking on why he hasn’t shared any opinions till now, the founder of Drishti IAS said that it is his nature and he’s not very expressive.

“This is my nature, I’m not very expressive. 3 children died, and it was a painful death. For the last 3 days, whenever we talk at home or I go to sleep, an image comes to mind of what those children must have gone through when the water was filled inside…All the things said by the students who are protesting right now are valid. It is good that I have met 3-4 students today. I had a meeting with the Delhi LG. Some students had also come to that meeting, and there were also owners of many institutes. There were also top officials of the Delhi government, from DDA, MCD, fire department, and Chief Secretary,” Mr Divyakirti said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Following the deaths of three UPSC aspirants due to flooding in the basement of a coaching institute in Delhi, Dr Vikas Divyakirti, founder and MD of Drishti IAS said that he would not do anything that is not allowed in Delhi and would work only in approved buildings.

In an exclusive chat with ANI, Dr Divyakirti said, “Keeping in view the recent incident that occurred, I have full realisation that it was carelessness. It never came to our minds. I am saying it through your channel that in case we get permission in the future, we will not work in the basement.”

“We do not take such buildings on rent that do not have fire exits, so that under no circumstances, the life of any child or staff is compromised. This is our intention. I made a mistake in understanding; I apologise to the entire country and the entire society that a mistake was made and that the mistake should not be repeated in future,” he said.

The incident occurred at Rau’s Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar on Saturday evening after heavy rains.

Dr Divyakirti said they have created a WhatsApp group and appointed a divisional head rank officer to look after the safety of the building.

“We appointed a divisional head rank officer 1.5 years ago who only looked after the safety of the building. In January 2023, we created a WhatsApp group, and I am one of its members. The work of that group is to check 16 points: whether the doors are open, the fire exit is clear, there is no obstruction on it, and the roof doors are open so that in case of an emergency, students can be taken out.”

He also claimed that there are at least two exits at every building housing a coaching centre in Delhi.

“These 16 points are checked daily…I would like you to get a chance if you can do a survey and go to any of our branches in Delhi or outside Delhi; if any building does not have at least 2 exits, then I am responsible,” he added.

Dr Divyakirti assured that they will run any coaching institute in the basement in the future.

He also claimed that they put a lot of effort into building safety norms and emphasised that every coaching centre has a fire safety exit.

“I am assuring you about it. And I will wish to see that no coaching institute runs in the basement in New Delhi. And if it runs above the basement, then it should have a fire safety exit. I want to clarify one more thing. You may feel I am making a big claim. I am openly saying that with the kind of effort we put in the matter of building safety norms, I am sure that you will not find it anywhere…,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Following the tragic deaths of three students at a coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar due to severe waterlogging, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi stated on Monday that she reached the site immediately after receiving the information, assessed the situation, and assured that illegally operating coaching centres would not be spared.

“Three students died after the basement of their coaching institute here was flooded with rainwater on July 27. As soon as I received information about the incident, I immediately reached the spot and assessed the situation. I wrote a letter to the MCD Commissioner and directed that action be taken against all coaching centres in Delhi that are operating illegally or not following MCD norms,” said the Delhi Mayor.

“A sealing drive was launched in Rajinder Nagar by the MCD, during which 13 such coaching centres were seized. Today, another sealing drive took place in Rajinder Nagar, and six coaching institutes were sealed. An encroachment drive also took place. A sealing drive also occurred in Mukherjee Nagar. A Junior Engineer was terminated, and an Assistant Engineer was suspended. No illegal coaching centres will be spared,” she further stated.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) formed a high-level committee to investigate the flooding of the basement of the coaching institute, which led to the deaths of three civil service aspirants in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar.

The committee will examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify the responsible parties, and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday after a nearby drain burst, claimed the lives of Shreya Yadav (from Uttar Pradesh), Nivin Dalwin (from Kerala), and Tanya Soni (from Telangana) when the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar was flooded.
The coaching centre was later sealed by the police.

The three civil services aspirants–two women and one man–died after a basement library at Rau’s IAS Centre was flooded during heavy rain on Saturday night, reportedly causing the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bhopal:

In light of the deaths of three civil services aspirants at a water-logged coaching centre in Delhi, the Madhya Pradesh government on Monday directed civic bodies to survey coaching classes operating in basements of buildings and ensure safety measures are in place on such premises.

IAS aspirants Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana and Navin Dalwin from Kerala died after the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, being used as a library, got flooded due to rains in the capital on Saturday evening.

Seven people, including the owner and coordinator of the coaching institute, have been arrested in connection with the incident.

In a review meeting at the state secretariat on Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav directed officials to inspect coaching institutes being run in basements of buildings and ensure safety measures are in place.

Mr Yadav said the untimely death of three youngsters preparing for civil services exams in Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar was sad and painful.

Additional chief secretary (ACS) Rajesh Rajoura said municipal commissioners have been directed to inspect coaching centres and other institutions, including lodging facilities, running in basements of buildings in their jurisdiction, and submit a report.

In compliance with the chief minister’s directive, instructions have been given to look into the drainage system and ensure safe electrical arrangements in case of waterlogging at coaching centres operating in basements, principal secretary (Revenue) Nikunj Kumar Srivastava said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Two days after three IAS aspirants died due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar, the fire department has started the process of cancelling the fire safety clearance of the building the coaching centre runs out of.

This is the latest in the big crackdown against coaching centres in the locality that have been using their premises in violation of norms. As many as 13 coaching centres have been sealed in the aftermath of the basement tragedy. Civic authorities have also started bulldozer action near institutes where encroachment has led to blocked drains, compounding the waterlogging issue.

The fire safety department had on July 9 issued a fire safety certificate to the building housing Rau’s IAS Study Circle. The department has now said that the coaching centre had provided incorrect information.

Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Service, has said that when an inspection team visited the institute, they were told that the basement is used for storage. “At the time of the inspection, books and tables were kept in the basement. The coaching centre gave incorrect information. We have also informed the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) so that they can cancel the building’s NOC.”

NDTV yesterday reported that the MCD No-Objection Certificate, too, said that the basement is to be used for parking or storage.

In its certificate issued earlier this month, the fire department had said the building has complied with fire safety requirements. It added that the basement should be used strictly as per building bye-laws.

The building bye-laws lay down that adequate arrangement shall be made to ensure surface drainage does not enter the basement. They also say that if the basement is used for office and commercial purposes, there should be a sufficient number of exit ways and access ways. In the case of this coaching, there was only one entry/exit.

Civil service aspirants Tania Soni and Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28 died after heavy rain in Delhi Saturday led to flooding of the basement. Twenty-odd students were in the library in the basement when water gushed in. While most were rescued, three drowned.

The incident has sparked massive protests and political backlash, with the BJP and protesters targeting the Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Delhi and also controls the MCD.

Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered a probe into the incident to find out if any MCD officer is involved in the negligence that led to the tragedy. She has also said all coaching centres that have violated the law would face action.

A total of seven people, including the owner of the coaching centre and the building, have been arrested. They face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence.

Two days after the flooding of a basement in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar left three IAS aspirants dead, civic authorities have started bulldozer action in the area to remove encroachment blocking drains and contributing to the waterlogging problem.

A video tweeted by news agency ANI showed an earthmover at work to drill and remove blocks of cement blocking the drains.

#WATCH | Earth movers put into action to remove encroachment over drains in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar after the incident of death of 3 UPSC aspirants due to drowning in an IAS coaching institute pic.twitter.com/NR6sjw5a7b

— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2024

Students protesting against the three deaths and slamming civic authorities for their negligence see this bulldozer action as too little, too late. “All this is for show,” one of them said.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is drawing fire over the tragic incident in which two women, aged 25, and a 28-year-old man died after they were trapped in the basement library of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Rajinder Nagar. The library, it has emerged, was functioning in violation of the rules as the civic body had allowed its use only for parking and storage.

About 20 students, it is learnt, were in the library on Saturday evening when heavy rain sent water gushing in. The basement had only one entry/exit route. Some reports said the flooding disabled the biometric authentication system and the students were trapped. While 17 could be rescued in time, three drowned. The victims have been identified as Tanya Soni, Shreya Yadav and Navin Dalwin. The incident has sparked massive outrage, with students accusing the civic authorities of negligence despite several warnings that blocking of drains and encroachment may lead to a tragedy. 

In the aftermath of the incident, the civic body has cracked down and sealed 13 IAS coaching centres for alleged violation of building norms. Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered an inquiry to identify if any MCD official is involved in the negligence. 

New Delhi:

The death of three students in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in West Delhi has sparked protests by civil service aspirants. Their bodies were recovered by rescuers late in the evening. The three victims, who have been identified as Tania Soni, 25, Shreya Yadav, 25, and Navin Delvin, 28, were preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams.

Here’s what we know so far:

The Tragedy 

The deaths occurred in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in old Rajinder Nagar. The basement has a library with a capacity of 150, and at least 20 children were there at the time of the incident.

The basement was flooded after heavy rain on Saturday evening. The wall of a drain in the basement exploded and floodwater started filling the basement faster. The students started evacuating through the only exit that was in the library. While most of them could be rescued, the three victims got stuck.

There are reports that access to the basement was regulated by biometric authentication, which stopped working due to a power cut and trapped the students. 

Spot visuals showed last evening the basement completely flooded.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of two students – both women – in the evening. The body of another student – a man – was found later into the night.

The victims have been identified and their bodies sent to the hospital for further legal action. While Shreya belonged from Uttar Pradesh, Tania was from Telangana, and Navin was from Ernakulam, Kerala, said the police. The police also requested the students not to gather at the spot since it may hamper the rescue operations.

The Protest

The deaths have sparked a massive protest by students who allege negligence by civic authorities led to the deaths. Paramilitary forces have been called in to keep the situation under control.

“If this is the situation after 30 minutes of rain, who is responsible? No one has come to talk to us or given us any assurance. Who will fix responsibility?” said a protester.

Some other students have alleged that the MCD and the institute’s director were the “main culprits”.

A criminal case has been filed by the cops and two people have been detained for questioning. Forensic teams have also inspected the basement where the deaths occurred.

The Blame Game

The BJP has hit out at the AAP government over the deaths and said the tragedy could have been avoided.

Bansuri Swaraj, BJP MP from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, said BJP workers had repeatedly asked local MLA Durgesh Pathak to ensure that the sewers in this area are cleaned and de-silted.

“If that had been done, this tragedy would not have happened…the AAP government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and MLA Durgesh Pathak are responsible for the tragedy and the death,” she said.

Responding to the charges, Mr Pathak said the BJP’s councillors were in power in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for 15 years but did not get drains constructed. “This is not the time for politics. The focus now is on saving the students,” the MLA said.