At the Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching center in Delhi, flooding has tragically resulted in the deaths of two female students and one male student. This heartbreaking incident has shattered the dreams of the families who sent their children to Delhi to become IAS officers. The underground coaching center, artificial floods, and a negligent system have raised numerous questions. Grieving and outraged students have taken to the streets, demanding compensation for the affected families and stringent actions against the responsible parties. The investigation has already unveiled several glaring deficiencies.
At the time of the incident, students were studying in the library located in the basement and found themselves trapped. There was no opportunity for them to escape. The coaching center's management had established the library in the basement. The police registered an FIR and made two arrests, including the owner and coordinator of the coaching center. The students who lost their lives were Shreya Yadav from Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Naveen Delwin from Ernakulam in Kerala. According to the FIR, the owner admitted there was no drainage system in the basement, which led to the tragedy. The Delhi Police have formed several teams to investigate the incident. Preliminary findings indicate two main causes: lack of roadside drainage cleaning before the monsoon and the absence of a drainage system in the basement library area.
1. What Happened?
This tragedy occurred in Old Rajendra Nagar. Around 6:20 PM on Saturday, heavy rainfall caused water to accumulate on the main road. Eyewitnesses reported that Rau’s IAS Study Circle has a library in the basement where students were studying. To prevent water from entering the coaching center, the gate was closed. However, due to the speed of passing vehicles, the pressure caused the glass gate to break, and within two minutes, water filled the basement up to 10 to 12 feet. Over 30 students trapped in the library were caught off guard.
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2. Why Couldn't the Students Escape?
Just a few days before the incident, a biometric system was installed at the basement door. Students' entries and exits were controlled by this biometric system. It is believed that the flooding and subsequent power outage caused the biometric system to fail, preventing students from escaping. Witnessing students reported that the flow of water was extremely fast, and there were no other visible exits. Several students were eventually rescued using ropes.
3. Was This the First Time It Flooded?
No, this was not the first time. The basement had flooded after rain just a week earlier. Students were prevented from going downstairs during that time. Students mentioned that classes have often been canceled due to basement flooding on multiple occasions. A Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officer stated that safety measures were not ensured, and the institution's negligence was evident. The library was operating illegally in the basement, which had only one entry-exit point and this was biometric, which failed during the flood. If there were free exits, the students could have escaped. Rainwater overflowed the covered roadside drains, causing the flood.
Source: aajtak
4. Who Are Students Blaming?
Following the incident, students expressed their anger, blaming the coaching centers, the Delhi government, and the MCD, taking to the streets in protest. On Sunday, students demonstrated and blocked Pusa Road outside the Karol Bagh Metro Station. Later, they sat on Satpal Bhatia Marg. Students claimed that the library was being operated illegally in the basement without any safety measures. They demanded that all basement libraries be shut down immediately. The Old Rajendra Nagar area remained heavily policed throughout Sunday, and almost all coaching centers stayed closed.
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The MCD confirmed the building housing the coaching center was approved by the civic body in 2021. The building completion certificate specified that the basement could only be used for parking and storage. This indicates that the library was operating illegally in the basement. Locals complained that the heavy rainfall in parts of Delhi on Saturday caused the area's drains to overflow and create flood-like conditions.
5. Who Got Arrested?
The Rajendra Nagar Police arrested the two accused: coaching center owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh. They were presented in court and sent to 14 days of judicial custody. The coaching center was sealed. The police registered an FIR under various provisions for negligent and careless conduct relating to construction and maintenance against the accused, including the building management, drainage system caretakers, and other municipal officials involved.
6. Why Is It Called a Man-Made Flood and Paper System?
This tragedy is being termed a man-made flood because of blatant negligence and rampant corruption. It raises questions about how a library was operating in the basement when only parking and storage were permitted. This situation suggests collusion between the coaching operators and municipal officials. Local residents reported perennial waterlogging issues during rains, which had been ignored. Measures taken post-investigation often result in mere showmanship. A major fire at a coaching center in Mukherjee Nagar, North Delhi, last year had drawn MCD's attention, leading to a survey of such institutions. Many students were forced to jump from the building to save themselves from the fire then.
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The MCD survey then revealed several violations by Rau’s coaching center from the basement to the third floor. They issued a show-cause notice to the owner in August 2023. Despite this, misuse continued, leading to the owner obtaining a fire no-objection certificate (NOC) on July 9 this year. However, the misuse of the basement and upper floors did not stop, resulting in waterlogging in the basement.
Source: aajtak
7. What Is MCD Doing Now?
Following the incident, the Delhi Municipal Corporation has sprung into action against illegal coaching centers. By late Sunday night, approximately 13 such centers were sealed. MCD announced the formation of a high-level committee to investigate. Concerns have been raised about why MCD employees and officials facilitating the illegal basement library have not been arrested for their knowledge and involvement.
Among the coaching centers sealed were EAS Gurukul, Chahal Academy, Plutus Academy, Sai Trading, IAS Setu, Toppers Academy, Dainik Samvad, Civils Daily IAS, Career Power, 99 Notes, Vidya Guru, Guidance IAS, and Easy for IAS. These coaching centers violated regulations by operating in basements and were sealed and issued notices on the spot. The police had already sealed Rau's IAS Study Circle on Saturday.
Delhi Police will now interrogate MCD officials. The police will question the official responsible for ensuring proper drainage in the area. A notice will be served to MCD to gather more information. The Delhi Police FIR has already accused those managing the water drainage system.
