Month before coaching centre deaths, UPSC aspirant sent complaint to MCD: ‘Basement used illegally, possibility of major accident’
The MCD on Sunday sealed basements of 13 coaching centres in Rajinder Nagar, including that of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, and nearby areas for flouting norms.
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Security personnel outside Rau’s IAS Study Circle, on Sunday. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra) Nearly a month before three students drowned in the flooded basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar, a complaint was filed with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) regarding the alleged illegal use of the basement.
A civil services aspirant, Kishor Singh Kushwah, filed the complaint against the coaching centre on June 26. Reminders were sent to the civic body on July 15 and July 22. “Despite not having permission, they (Rau’s) are running a classroom without NOC in the basement; they are running test classes, which are affecting the lives of students and staff. There is a possibility of a major accident…big UPSC coaching institutes are running classes at illegal places by putting the lives of the students at risk,” Kushwah stated in his complaint.
In the reminder on July 15, he wrote, “Sir, it is a very important and urgent issue, take strict action”. In his second reminder, five days before the students drowned, Kushwah pleaded for intervention, writing, “Sir please take action … It’s an issue of student safety.” No action, however, was taken in the days that followed. “Under process”, reads the “current status” of the online complaint.
A crackdown against coaching centres took place only a day after the tragedy. The MCD on Sunday sealed basements of 13 coaching centres in Rajinder Nagar, including that of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, and nearby areas for flouting norms.
According to MCD officials, any commercial activity in basements is illegal and only storage and parking are allowed.
The completion certificate of the building where Rau’s IAS Study Circle was operating, dated August 9, 2021, states that the basement had permission only to house two staircases, two lifts and two lift lobbies, a parking bay, a car lift and household storage.
Mayor Shelly Oberoi Sunday ordered action against all such centres that were conducting commercial activities in the basement.
In an official statement to the press, the MCD revealed that the coaching centre in question had violated building bylaws by using the basement for purposes other than those approved.
It also stated that the coaching centre was running in disregard to fire clearance conditions. “It did not provide free access. It used storage as the place for coaching/ library. Had it followed the norms of approval, the tragedy would have been averted. This coaching centre and other buildings along the road have unfortunately encroached and covered the storm drains by extending their buildings in the form of platforms and ramps, thereby making draining of water difficult and cleaning of drains impossible,” the statement added.
‘Norms bypassed regularly in the area’
Students of several coaching centres in the area said that classes and tests are held in basements regularly. A look at the coaching centres around Rau’s confirms this.
Path IAS Academy, which also has two floors above a Muthoot Finance branch, runs a studio from the basement. On calling the academy office, the receiver says that the basement is not used for classes. “We only use it for content production. No classes take place there,” he said. At Vaid’s ICS, an employee said that the basement is used for student counselling during admissions.
Several students said they go to independent “study points” or reading rooms spread across the area — most of them in basements. On its board, Invictus Library says it is located in the basement of building 25/24 in Old Rajendra Nagar.
Not too far, Wings Library is located in the basement of a residential building. When questioned, the caretaker of the library, Hemant, said that the library would remain closed for some days.
AAP’s MCD in-charge and Rajendra Nagar MLA, Durgesh Pathak, also questioned why commercial activity was being allowed in basements.
Pathak, who before joining AAP was preparing for the civil services exam in Delhi, said, “Enough is enough. Not just in Rajinder Nagar… but in many other localities in Delhi, coaching institutes are using basements for commercial activities… Why were the kids studying in a basement? These are criminal activities and strict action should be taken against any officer who is responsible for this. If such activities go unnoticed, then the whole of Delhi will be ruined.” Asked if the waterlogging in the area was due to a lack of desilting, Pathak said, “The drains have been desilted… Just 20 days ago I met the Jal Board CEO to talk about desilting and to ask for super-sucker machines but adequate machines are not provided.”
According to rough estimates, there are over 1,000 coaching centres in Delhi. The MCD conducted a survey of coaching centres after a massive fire broke out last year at one centre in Mukherjee Nagar, which is also home to hundreds of such institutes.
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