248 coaching centres violating building rules in Delhi, 128 sealed: MCD

According to the action taken report of the civic body, over 56% of violators did not even have sanctioned building plans

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has identified 248 coaching centres operating in violation of different building rules and sealed 128 units so far, as part of a survey on coaching institutions, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

The survey is being carried out by MCD in the wake of the tragic deaths of three civil service aspirants, who drowned after the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle got flooded after heavy showers on July 27. (PTI)

According to the action taken report of the civic body, over 56% of violators did not even have sanctioned building plans. The most number of sealed units are located in Civil Lines (32), West zone (26) and Karol Bagh zones (22) whereas the most number of violators have been identified in the south zone (92 units) of which 15 have been sealed, it added.

The survey is being carried out by MCD in the wake of the tragic deaths of three civil service aspirants, who drowned after the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle got flooded after heavy showers on July 27. The basement was illegally being used as a library cum study room, prompting the civic body to launch a sealing drive against such units.

A senior MCD official said that while basements can be used for parking, household storage and services, the space cannot be used for public gathering activities like libraries, reading rooms, and coaching centers without permission.

“We are checking building bylaws-related violations in the survey and the sealing drive will continue. In 139 (more than 56%) cases, the coaching institutes did not have a sanctioned building plan. All 248 units have basement and building violations — 154 coaching centres, 81 libraries and 12 schools,” the official said, asking not to be named.

Even though the trade is not regulated, industry insiders put the number of coaching centres in the city anywhere between 4,000-5,000 units. Additionally, there are several smaller tuition centres and libraries cum reading rooms.

Over the last two weeks, sealing drives have been carried out in popular coaching hubs like Old Rajendra Nagar, Patel Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, and Mukherjee Nagar, among other areas. Delhi is divided into 12 administrative zones by MCD where building portions and basements were sealed in 128 coaching centres — 32 in Civil Lines, 22 in Karol Bagh, one in Keshavpuram, 17 institutes in the central zone, 15 in the south zone, seven in Najafgarh, 26 in the west zone and eight in Shahdara south. There has been no sealing in the remaining four zones.

The magisterial probe into the three deaths has made seven suggestions to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, including a recommendation to shift the coaching institutes to planned areas in outer Delhi and strict enforcement of guidelines regarding the misuse of basements for educational purposes.

The MCD official quoted above said that notices were being issued to the violators after the survey and action was initiated in 211 cases. “Separately, we will undertake encroachment removal drives to clear the blockages in colony drains. A proposal for revamping the drainage system of Old Rajendra Nagar is also under process,” he added.

AK Jain, former commissioner (planning) , Delhi Development Authority (DDA), who worked on the MPD-2021 said that the plan tried to regulate this activity but the mushrooming of such centres violating the building regulations has been spurred by high demand and lack of any enforcement by MCD.

“Coaching centres were first permitted in February 2007, but with very specific safety conditions like minimum width of road and approved building plans, among others. MCD has failed to enforce these conditions, leading to building of so many of these centres.”