The latest visuals from the Old Rajinder Nagar area after a couple of hours of rainfall showed protesting students in knee-deep water as several roads were waterlogged.Three students died after waterlogged roads led to flooding of the basement of a coaching institute.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Delhi and surrounding NCR regions. Rainfall in key areas, including Parliament and Pant Marg, led to severe traffic congestion and waterlogging across multiple locations.
On July 27, three students died due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching institute in the area. The basement, which was operating as an illegal library, was submerged due to the heavy rain.
Earlier, Delhi education minister Atishi visited the site of the protest on Wednesday. She requested that the protesting students provide the names of 10 representatives to join a panel tasked with drafting legislation to regulate coaching institutes in Delhi.
Despite initial resistance, where students chanted slogans such as “go back” and “we want justice,” Atishi engaged with the protesters and promised government support.
Accompanied by Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi and MLA Durgesh Pathak, Atishi also announced that government libraries and reading rooms will be established in Delhi’s coaching hubs using funds from the mayor’s office.
The protesting students have formed a 15-member coordination committee to determine the next steps. Atishi assured that the panel will consider issues related to brokerage, rent, and electricity in its draft legislation, which will be prepared within a month after receiving the 10 student representatives’ names.
The protests began after the tragic incident at Rau’s IAS coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar, where rainwater accumulated and flooded the basement, resulting in the deaths of two female students and one male student.
Of the 30 students present at the coaching centre, 27 were either able to escape or were rescued. The situation was described as severe, with some students reporting similar conditions a week prior.
Students have called for enhanced safety measures at coaching centres to prevent future incidents and ensure their well-being.