"Living a life of hell…" – the plaintive cry of a student who has written to Chief Justice DY Chandrachud to demand action against city officials and others responsible for the deaths last weeks of three fellow students, who drowned in the flooded basement of a coaching centre in east Delhi.
The Chief Justice has not yet decided if the letter will be viewed as a petition.
The student – Avinash Dubey – flagged poor infrastructure in areas like Rajendra Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, residents of which often battle floods caused by drainage issues and "negligence" by the Municipal Corporation, and asked for protection of students' fundamental rights.
Mr Dubey referred to the tragic drowning of three students in the basement of a building owned by Rau's IAS Study Circle. The basement was being used as a library in violation of city ordinances.
"Due to rain, the basement got filled with water and three students lost their lives. Sir, areas like Mukherjee Nagar and Rajendra Nagar are facing the problem of waterlogging every year for many years due to the negligence of the Municipal Corporation. We have to walk in knee-deep drain water… today students like us are preparing for (our exams) while living a life of hell…"
Mr Dubey red-flagged the improper maintenance of drains in these parts of the national capital, which means roads there are flooded by a mix of water and untreated sewage when there is rainfall.
Floodwaters and sewage sometimes enter homes also, Mr Dubey complained.
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"Students like us are moving towards our goal by any means. But yesterday's incident proved the lives of students are not safe… Delhi government and Municipal Corporation force us to live a life like (pests)…" he wrote the Chief Justice, claiming "indifference" on the part of government officials.
"Sir… it is our fundamental right to study while living a healthy life. The above incident is extremely heart-rending and worrying. Due to waterlogging, there is a serious threat to the safety and health of students studying in (such) centres… students need a safe and healthy environment so they can study without fear, and contribute to the development of the country…" the Chief Justice was told.
The flooded street outside the coaching centre in east Delhi.
Mr Dubey urged the top court to direct officials take immediate and effective steps to find a permanent solution to the problem of waterlogging, and strengthen emergency and medical response measures. "Proper evacuation routes should (also) be ensured," he said.
Four students – all studying for the UPSC, or Civil Services, examination – died after heavy rain in Delhi last week. Three died in the Rajendra Nagar coaching centre's basement.
The three have been identified as Tania Soni and Shreya Yadav – both 25 – and Navin Delvin, 28.
The fourth, Nilesh Rai, 26, was electrocuted in Patel Nagar.
Locals have blamed the incident on drains clogged with silt; this lead to the flood-like situation following rains. Pending completion of the probe, the coaching centre's owner, Abhishek Gupta, and coordinator, Deshpal Singh, were arrested and sent to custody for 14 days.
Parts of the building – deemed as encroachments – were demolished Monday by bulldozers,
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Inquiries so far have suggest multiple lapses by owners and civic authorities.
The coaching centre got a No-Objection Certificate from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in August 2021. The certificate, seen by NDTV, says the basement is to be used for parking and storage.
The coaching centre also secured a similar certificate from the fire department this month.
This document, also accessed by NDTV, claims the building has complied with existing fire safety regulations, and stresses the basement should be used in accordance with building bye-laws.
Both NoCs have now been revoked.
This morning a Junior Engineer with the MCD was sacked a senior employee suspended.
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The officials worked with the maintenance department for the Karol Bagh Zone.