In a tragic incident on Saturday evening, three UPSC aspirants lost their lives after being trapped in the basement of a coaching center in Central Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, which was flooded when a drain burst during heavy rains.
The sequence of events began around 7 PM when the Delhi Fire Services received an urgent call about the flooding at Rau’s IAS Study Circle. Five fire tenders were dispatched for rescue operations, and divers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were also deployed. However, a faculty member at the coaching center criticized the decision, suggesting that divers should have been prioritized over fire tenders.
Despite the rapid response, the rescue efforts faced significant challenges. The basement, housing the center’s library, filled with 10-12 feet of water almost instantaneously, leaving the students with no time to escape. By 10:30 PM and then 11:20 PM, the bodies of two female students were recovered. The search for a third individual continued into the night.
Eyewitnesses described the panic and chaos as the basement flooded. The Met department’s PUSA weather station reported 31.5 mm of rain between 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM, contributing to the sudden deluge. Initial evacuation attempts were hampered by severe traffic jams, delaying the arrival of rescue teams.
Political Firestorm and Accusations
The tragedy has sparked a political firestorm. The BJP has launched a fierce attack on AAP, blaming the incident on the negligence of the area’s legislator. AAP’s Durgesh Pathak, the MLA from Rajinder Nagar, attributed the flooding to a burst drain and assured that pumps were being used to remove the water. He argued that if the issue was due to a lack of desilting, other buildings would have been similarly affected.
Bansuri Swaraj, the BJP MP from New Delhi, accused the MLA of ignoring repeated pleas to clean the Rajendra Nagar drain, suggesting that the negligence led to the fatal incident.
Twenty-six-year-old Nilesh Rai, another UPSC aspirant, was electrocuted on July 22 while trying to navigate a waterlogged lane near his paying guest accommodation in South Patel Nagar. He was electrocuted when he touched an iron gate, which had become live due to contact with a naked wire.
PWD Minister Atishi has directed the Chief Secretary to submit a report within 24 hours, emphasizing the need for immediate and severe action against those responsible for the negligence that led to the deaths. Rajinder Nagar, known as a hub for coaching centers and student accommodations, has a history of such incidents. Just last year, a fire at a coaching center in Mukherjee Nagar, another educational hub, resulted in over 60 injuries.
Student Protests and Investigations
The death of three civil service aspirants due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching centre at Rajinder Nagar has sparked a massive protest by students. Paramilitary forces have been called in to keep the situation under control as the students accuse municipal authorities of negligence.
The tragic incident occurred at a building in Rajinder Nagar that houses a branch of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, a prominent coaching institute for civil service aspirants. The institute’s library was in the basement of the building, and there was only one entry-exit. This basement was flooded following a downpour yesterday. At the time, there were at least 20 students in the library.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harshavardhan said a criminal case has been registered in this connection. “Our forensic teams are here. We are committed to a proper investigation and finding the truth. Two people have been detained,” he said.
“NDRF has recovered three bodies till now. One final round of search is on. Three students have been sent to hospital and 13-14 others were rescued and are fine,” he said. Multiple charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing death by negligence, have been invoked.
The protesting students, meanwhile, have hit out at civic authorities. “If this is the situation after 30 minutes of rain, who is responsible? No one has come to talk to us or given us any assurance. Who will fix responsibility?” a protester said.
Some students alleged that the “main culprits” are MCD and the institute’s director. “MCD calls it a disaster, but I say this is negligence. Knee-deep water gathers in half an hour of rain,” a student told news agency ANI.
The three victims have been identified as Tania Soni, Shreya Yadav, both 25, and Navin Delvin, 28.
Political Reactions
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has termed the incident “very shocking” and said it requires a “thorough investigation” and “swift and strongest possible action”. She has ordered action against all coaching centres under MCD that are running commercial activities in basements in violation of laws. She has also ordered an inquiry to identify if any officer of MCD is responsible for the Rajendra Nagar incident.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the BJP has launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi that also controls the MCD. “This is a failure of the government and municipal corporation. This is the most insensitive government ever in this country. This is murder,” BJP spokesperson Manjinder Singh Sirsa told NDTV.
The BJP has targeted Delhi Minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged that Mr Pathak ignored repeated appeals by local residents to get drains cleaned.
“Delhi Government’s criminal negligence is responsible for this mishap. Jal Board Minister Atishi and local MLA Durgesh Pathak should take responsibility and resign,” he said.
Mr Pathak has countered the BJP’s attack by questioning what they did for the past 15 years.
“This is a low-lying area and there is a water line here. Some drain has cracked and that led to the flooding. The teams are doing their work,” he told news agency ANI.
“The BJP must answer too. For the past 15 years, this area had a BJP councillor. Why was the drain not made? All drains cannot be made in one year. Politics must not be done in this case,” he said.
