MCD Starts Bulldozer Action Against Drain Encroachments, To Check Crowded Buildings After Coaching Centre Deaths

Cracking the whip after three IAS aspirants drowned in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar, the MCD sent earth movers to the area to remove encroachment over drains and has ordered intensive checks in all buildings with high footfall across Delhi.

Amid a political blame between the BJP and AAP, which also attacked the office of the L-G, the civic body terminated an officer and suspended another. Late on Sunday (July 28), it also launched action against 13 illegal institutes in the coaching hub and sealed their basements.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi held an emergency meeting with civic officials, including the MCD commissioner, water board chief executive officer and the public works department principal secretary. The police, meanwhile, arrested five more persons in the case. Rau’s IAS Study Circle owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh are already in custody and were booked for culpable homicide.

Here is all you need to know on MCD action before and after the basement tragedy:

• Encroachment on drains: The MCD earlier blamed encroachment on storm drains in Old Rajender Nagar, which led to waterlogging and rainwater entering the basement of the coaching centre. It said a majority of the drains are blocked by encroachers. Hence, the commissioner issued orders to raze all illegal structures covering storm drains in the area. Some bulldozers were seen in action near Rau’s IAS Study Circle. The MCD commissioner earlier that storm drains had been covered by encroachers in the area and this led to waterlogging and rainwater entering the basement of the coaching centre. The drive has been launched across the national capital, under which encroachment over storm water drains will be removed.
• Inspections at buildings with high footfall: The MCD has also ordered detailed inspections at all buildings with heavy footfall. Inspection teams will especially focus on safety norm violations.
• Desilting: The MCD said desilting of storm water drains was carried out in the Old Rajender Nagar area and was completed by the end of June, ahead of the monsoon. The civic body is responsible for the desilting of storm water drains. It has been alleged that the drainage system near the coaching centre was not working properly due to which a large quantity of rainwater got accumulated on the road and gushed into the basement.
• Sudden waterlogging: The civic body further said teams on the ground are probing the cause of sudden waterlogging. They are also checking for damage to pipelines and sewers in the area.
• Pipelines intact: After a thorough check, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said no pipeline has been damaged due to heavy rainfall. But, civic officials said the MCD will conduct its own checks in this regard.
• Action against officers: The MCD terminated a junior engineer and suspended an assistant engineer for failing to promptly respond to the emergency situation. An executive engineer was also issued a memo and asked to explain the lapses on part of the officials. Commissioner Ashwani Kumar said the officials are part of the maintenance department of the Karol Bagh Zone. An order to this effect stated that the contract of the junior engineer “is hereby terminated with immediate effect” and the assistant engineer “will be paid subsistence allowance during the suspension period”. Sources said the officers’ termination and suspension orders will be released soon.
• Basements of coaching centres sealed: The MCD sealed 13 coaching centres in the Old Rajender Nagar area, launching action against illegally run classes. A civic body team sealed the basements of institutes, including IAS Gurukul, Chahal Academy, Plutus Academy, Sai Trading, IAS Setu, Topper’s Academy, Dainik Samvad, Civils Daily IAS, Career Power, 99 Notes, Vidya Guru, Guidance IAS, and Easy for IAS. “These coaching centres were found to be operating in basements in violation of rules and they were sealed on the spot and notices were pasted,” a statement read.
• Survey conducted last year: The MCD said it conducted a survey of such coaching centres last year after a massive fire broke out at an institute in Mukherjee Nagar, which is another coaching hub in north Delhi. “To begin with, the survey will be used to identify those flouting norms,” the official said.
• ‘Gross negligence’: The MCD said there was “gross negligence in ensuring safety measures” by the owners of the coaching centre and the basement. “…the library in the basement was running illegally and had only one entry and exit point that was biometric-enabled and got locked due to the flooding. The students could have escaped had the exit been free,” an official said, adding that the civic body only approves the building plan. “But if somebody misuses the basement for commercial activities after declaring it will be used for parking and storing purposes, what else can the agency do to ensure protection?” the official asked.
• MCD may be asked to join police probe: Delhi Police may question MCD officials about desilting of drains and the clearance certificate issued by them to the Rau’s IAS Study Circle. The institute was using its basement as a library, in violation of a no-objection certificate issued to it by the Delhi Fire Services. The permission was for using the basement for storage purposes. Sources said the police are going to write to the civic body and, if required, may call the officers concerned for questioning in the course of the probe.