13 Coaching Centres Sealed in Delhi Following Fatal Basement Flooding
New Delhi: A tragic incident in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, where three civil service aspirants lost their lives due to basement flooding, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has taken swift action. At least 13 illegal coaching centres have been sealed following the deaths of Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav, and Navin Delvin. These centres, including well-known names like IAS Gurukul and Chahal Academy, were found operating in basements against municipal regulations.
The victims, trapped when water surged into Rau’s IAS Study Circle’s basement, died in a situation that could have been prevented. The basement was being used as a library, in clear violation of its designated use for parking and household storage, as per the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by MCD in August 2021. Moreover, despite receiving a fire safety compliance certificate earlier this month, the centre ignored stipulations to keep the basement usage within legal bounds.
The tragedy has highlighted severe lapses not only on the part of the coaching centre’s management but also civic authorities. The inadequate drainage system in Rajinder Nagar, heavily clogged with silt, exacerbated the flooding risk during the recent rains. Locals have voiced their concerns, blaming poor municipal maintenance for creating hazardous conditions.
The police have promptly responded, sealing Rau’s IAS Study Circle and arresting its owner, Abhishek Gupta, and coordinator, Deshpal Singh. Both are charged with culpable homicide and other serious offenses under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The victims were young, ambitious individuals with bright futures. Tanya Soni, from Bihar, was a Delhi University student; Shreya Yadav, from Uttar Pradesh, held a BSc in agriculture; and Navin Delvin, from Kerala, was pursuing a PhD at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Their untimely deaths underscore the urgent need for strict enforcement of safety regulations to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The MCD’s recent actions mark a critical step towards addressing the safety hazards posed by illegal coaching centres, but they also call for a broader reassessment of municipal oversight and infrastructure maintenance in Delhi.
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