The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)

A week on, desilting of drains in progress, pumps still at Rau’s basement, stir enters 2nd week

A WEEK after three students died due to drowning in the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, the pumping out of the water at the basement continues. “It's almost done. It was flooded again after it rained three days back," an official of the Municipal Corporatio­n of Delhi ( MCD) said on Saturday.

Amid much criticism over the desilting of the drains in the area and lack of monsoon preparedne­ss, The Indian Express Saturday found workers clearing the drain opposite Rau’s. This came a day after the Delhi High Court pulled up the MCD for oversight, and the Delhi Police for lapses in the investigat­ion into the deaths of the students. The court handed over the probe on Friday to the CBI.

At the site, two MCD supervisor­s said that the drain, which is being cleaned, will be reconstruc­ted. “We would have done this even if students didn't protest. We clean it up every year. But there are too many people in too little a space now at this place ( Old Rajinder Nagar),” one of them said.

However, Yuvraj Singh, a student from a coaching centre in the locality, claimed he never saw civic officials carrying out the desilting work in three years. "We have never seen MCD trucks come here and clean the drain," he said. Rahul Jain, the manager of Raj Malhotra's IAS coaching centre near Rau’s, shared that MCD gave him the notice to remove a board at his centre, as it was longer than the permissibl­e height.

"The whole area was waterlogge­d. The drain was overflowin­g. But they noticed our board. Now, after student protests they are opening up the drain to unclog it," he said.

At Rajinder Nagar police station, it seemed like any other Saturday. The staff strength was thin with some policemen deployed for the demonstrat­ion by students, which has entered its second week.

An official said that they sympathise with demonstrat­ors but police could not be blamed. "If we start checking every building in Rajinder Nagar, who will keep a watch on crime? It's not our job," he said. In the evening, a candleligh­t vigil was carried out by the protesting students in front of Rau's. It was followed by a sitdown as protesters observed a period of silence for about 10 minutes till 8 pm. Last week, it was around this time that the rescue operation had started at the coaching centre, and many were compelled to fight for survival.

Amit, 25, from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, said he has been a part of the stir since the start but his parents are concerned. “My parents fear that I will get into politics. Now, I shy away from media cameras. My parents understand our purpose but they don't want to see me getting detained," he said. He added that he will continue protesting till there is clarity on the compensati­on for students who died, and "a fair inquiry" against MCD and police officials.