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:

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.