Delhi coaching centre deaths: MCD launches sealing drive in Mukherjee Nagar

NEW DELHI: The Muncipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday launched a sealing drive in northwest Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar, a hub of UPSC coaching centres in the national capital. This comes two days after three civil services aspirants died after a library housed in the basement of their coaching centre, Rau's IAS Study Circle, in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar got inundated following heavy rain, and reportedly led to the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point.

Action is being taken against establishments illegally using basements in the area, an MCD official said. A similar drive will later be carried out across the city against establishments operating illegally from basements, the official said.

A UPSC aspirant studying at one of the coaching centres in Mukherjee Nagar said libraries at most of the centres have been closed after the Saturday incident. "I have to appear for UPSC Mains in one and a half months and the library at my centre has been closed. My books and all the preparation material are inside the library and now I am not allowed to collect my books," the student said. "We got a message on Sunday night, saying we should collect our books, etc. from the library by 6 am today. I was sleeping so how was I suppose to collect them by morning. Most students here are preparing for UPSC Mains," the student added.

The MCD terminated an officer and suspended another as well as launched an anti-encroachment drive to remove illegal structures covering storm drains which leads to waterlogging in the Old Rajinder Nagar area 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 died on Saturday, has already been sealed by police.