Basement meant for storage used as library

New Delhi: The city was struck by tragedy as three civil service aspirants died following a basement flooding incident at the Rau’s IAS Study Circle coaching centre in Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. The deaths have ignited a storm of controversy, exposing significant breaches of building regulations and civic oversight.

The deceased have been identified as Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28. They perished when torrential rains inundated the basement, where they had sought refuge in the centre’s library. The basement, which was supposed to be used strictly for parking and storage according to the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in August 2021, was in direct violation of the stipulated usage.

The NOC states, “The basement was designated for parking and household storage, not as a library or any other commercial purpose.” The fire department’s recent NOC, which was granted earlier this month, confirms that the building had met fire safety regulations.

However, it underscores that the basement’s usage was to be in strict adherence to building bye-laws, which stipulate that a basement used for commercial purposes must have multiple exit routes and proper drainage to prevent flooding. In the case of the Rau’s IAS Study Circle, only a single exit was available, exacerbating the risk during the emergency.

The tragic incident has led to the arrest of the coaching centre’s owner and coordinator, with police registering a case under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and death due to negligence. The Delhi Mayor, Shelly Oberoi, has ordered a comprehensive probe to determine if any MCD officials were complicit in the negligence. She has also announced that all coaching centres found violating regulations will face stringent action.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage among students and the public, who have blamed civic negligence for the incident. Protests erupted, with students accusing local authorities of failing to address longstanding drainage issues that could have prevented the tragedy. A political clash has ensued, with the BJP accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which controls the Delhi government and MCD, of failing to act on complaints about inadequate drainage.

In response, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak criticised the BJP for politicising the tragedy and questioned why the BJP’s own local councillor did not address the problem during his tenure.

The case has drawn attention to broader issues of regulatory enforcement and public safety in Delhi.

The tragic deaths of Soni, Yadav, and Delvin serve as a stark reminder of the critical need for adherence to building regulations and proper oversight to prevent such disasters in the future. The investigation continues as authorities strive to hold accountable those responsible for the lapses that led to this heart-breaking incident.

Revenue minister Atishi has directed all relevant officers to promptly visit the site and undertake all necessary actions. She has also instructed the Chief Secretary to initiate a magisterial enquiry into the incident, with a report required within the next 24 hours.

Minister Atishi was clear about the need for stringent consequences, saying, “Strongest possible action needs to be taken against those whose negligence has caused this incident. Whoever is found guilty should not be spared and action needs to be taken against them on priority.”