East Delhi Municipal Corporation surveys, seals two centres

The EDMC on Friday sealed the two coaching centres for not paying conversion charges for long and violating building bylaws.

In a bid to prevent a Surat-like fire tragedy, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has started a fresh survey of coaching institutes operating under its jurisdiction to check if the establishments are following the building by-laws. The civic body has also sealed two coaching centres in Laxmi Nagar area on Friday for violations.

Last month, a fire engulfed a four-storey commercial complex in Gujarat’s Surat which housed a coaching centre and killed 22 students. (HT Photo)

Last month, a fire engulfed a four-storey commercial complex in Gujarat’s Surat which housed a coaching centre and killed 22 students. Two days later, the Delhi government ordered its fire department to inspect coaching institute running from high rise building and act against those not following fire safety norms.

The EDMC on Friday sealed the two coaching centres for not paying conversion charges for long and violating building bylaws.

In April and May, the EDMC had served notices to over 30 coaching institutes for violating building by-laws and not paying conversion charges.

“The notices were served to these coaching centres for violation of rules before the fire incident in Surat. But, after that tragedy, we have started a fresh survey of coaching institutes. In the survey, we are checking if the institutes are following norms such as whether they are located on the designated plots or roads, following the FAR (floor area ration) rule, whether the building has broad staircase to be used in case of fire or any other eventuality,” an EDMC spokesperson said.

Coaching institutes are mushrooming all across the city and one can find them being operated even from narrow lanes in many localities. Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Mukherji Nagar, Model Town, Karol Bagh, Rajinder Nagar, South Extension-I, Munirka, Kalu Sarai, Ber Sarai, Rohini are some of the areas spread across all the three municipal corporations which are known as coaching hubs.

According to Master Plan Development 2021, the minimum right of way (ROW) of a road, on which a coaching or tuition centre can operate, is 13.5 metre in regular plotted development areas, nine-metre in rehabilitation colonies and six metre in walled city, regularised-unauthorised colonies, urban villages.

The minimum plot size on for coaching centres in regular plotted development areas should be 200 sq.m while in rehabilitation colonies and regularised-unauthorised colonies, it should be 75 sq.m. The coaching centres are allowed for the use of upto 2/3rd of the maximum permissible Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of the plot size, said a senior official.

“A coaching centre cannot operate from a narrow alley. It should be located on a road where emergency vehicles can move easily,” the EDMC official said.

Commissioner, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Varsha Joshi, who has also been given additional charge of the SDMC, said that currently no survey specifically for the coaching centres was going on but there are plans for such an exercise.

“We are more inclined to organise a meeting with the fire officials and then conduct a joint exercise against coaching centres violating the norms,” she said.

Similarly, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is also planning to conduct a survey of coaching institutes under its jurisdiction.

“After Surat fire tragedy, last week there was a discussion on conducting inspection of coaching centres. We are also planning to conduct a survey and take action against the violators but we have not yet decided the date to start it,” a senior SDMC official said.