After 3 IAS Students Drown, MCD Seals Basements Of 13 Coaching Centres For 'Illegal' Use Of Space

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Sunday said they sealed basements of 13 coaching centres after the deaths of three civil services aspirants at a coaching centre in the Old Rajinder Nagar area. The officials said that the government has also ordered an inquiry.

The civic body in a statement said it has initiated a sealing drive against establishments illegally running commercial activities in their basements.

On the orders of Mayor Shelly Oberoi, a team of the civic body has reached the site of the incident for carrying out the action, it said.

Earlier in the day, Oberoi has directed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to take strict action against those running commercial activities in basements and ascertain if an MCD official is responsible for the incident in Old Rajinder Nagar.

Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala died after the basement of the building housing the coaching centre Rau’s IAS Study Circle was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday evening.

While speaking to news agency ANI, Tariq Thomas, Additional Commissioner MCD, said: “We have started the action since evening. Three basements (coaching centres running in the basement) have been closed and we will take further action in the coming days. The government has ordered an inquiry.”

The officials, according to a PTI report, said encroachments on storm drains led to waterlogging in the Old Rajinder Nagar. The drains, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official said, are “covered by encroachers”.

The drainage system in the area was heavily clogged with silt and overflowed leading to a flood-like situation following rains, locals complained.

On reports of waterlogged drains in the area and if their desilting was completed, the senior MCD official said that “people on street sides have encroached and covered storm drains” used to carry away water that accumulates after heavy rain.

It led to flooding in the area and water entered the basement of the building, he added.

The coaching centre falls in the MCD’s Karol Bagh Zone.