Basement deaths: Bulldozer action in Delhi, heads roll in MCD

Cracking the whip after three IAS aspirants died at a coaching centre, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi terminated an officer and suspended another as well as launched an anti-encroachment drive in the Old Rajinder Nagar area here on Monday.

On Sunday, the civic body had sealed 13 illegal coaching centres in the area.

Rau's IAS Study Circle, where the three students were killed on Saturday after its basement was flooded due to rain, has already been sealed by police.

A junior engineer has been terminated and an assistant engineer suspended in connection with the deaths at the coaching centre, MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar told PTI.

The two officials are part of the maintenance department of the Karol Bagh Zone, he said.

The contract of the junior engineer "is hereby terminated with immediate effect". The assistant engineer "will be paid subsistence allowance during the suspension period", an official order said.

The officers' termination and suspension orders will be released soon, sources said.

Meanwhile, the MCD launched an anti-encroachment drive in Old Rajinder Nagar to remove illegal structures covering storm drains in the area which leads to waterlogging.

Some bulldozers were seen in action near Rau's IAS Study Circle.

The MCD commissioner had told PTI 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.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi will hold an emergency meeting with civic officials around 3 pm over the deaths of the students, according to officials.

The Delhi Fire Services also initiated the process of cancelling the NOC of the Rau's IAS Study Circle building in Old Rajinder Nagar, officials said.

"The fire NOC (no-objection certificate) was issued to the building after it fulfilled all the norms. But there was no system to pump the water out from the basement. We have initiated the process of cancelling the fire NOC," a senior Delhi Fire Services official said.

A letter will be issued from the department regarding cancellation of the NOC, the official added.