Delhi Coaching Centre Loses Fire Safety Nod After Basement Tragedy Kills 3

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.