The Delhi Fire Service had issued a fire safety certificate to the building housing Rau’s IAS Study Circle on July 9
Two days after three IAS aspirants lost their lives due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching center in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar, the Delhi Fire Department has initiated the process of canceling the fire safety clearance for the building where the tragedy occurred. This incident marks a significant move against coaching centers in the area that are found to be operating in violation of safety norms. Following the incident, 13 coaching centers have been sealed as part of a crackdown on establishments that pose safety risks. Civic authorities have also begun using bulldozers to remove encroachments around these institutes, which have blocked drains and exacerbated the waterlogging problem.
The Delhi Fire Service had issued a fire safety certificate to the building housing Rau’s IAS Study Circle on July 9. However, the fire department now claims that the coaching center provided misleading information about the use of its basement. Atul Garg, the Director of the Delhi Fire Service, stated, “At the time of the inspection, books and tables were kept in the basement. The coaching center gave incorrect information. We have also informed the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) so that they can cancel the building’s NOC.”
According to NDTV, the MCD’s No-Objection Certificate also specified that the basement should be used only for parking or storage purposes. Despite this, the coaching center was using the basement space for student activities. The fire department’s certificate, issued earlier this month, indicated that the building met all fire safety requirements, but emphasized that the basement usage should strictly adhere to building bye-laws.
Building regulations require that adequate measures be taken to prevent surface drainage from entering basements. They also mandate a sufficient number of exits if basements are used for commercial activities. In the case of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, there was only one entry/exit point, which contributed to the dangerous situation.
The incident took place after heavy rains on Saturday caused the basement to flood. Civil service aspirants Tania Soni and Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28, drowned when water rapidly filled the basement where they were studying. Although about twenty students were present in the library at the time and most were rescued, these three students tragically lost their lives.
The tragedy has sparked widespread protests and political fallout, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and demonstrators criticizing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which governs Delhi and controls the MCD. In response, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident to determine if any MCD officials were negligent in their duties leading to this disaster. She has also promised strict action against all coaching centers found to be in violation of safety regulations.
As a result of the incident, seven individuals, including the coaching center owner and the building owner, have been arrested. They are facing serious charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence.
The tragic deaths of the IAS aspirants have brought attention to the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety standards in coaching centers across Delhi, ensuring such preventable tragedies are avoided in the future.
