A year after flood tragedy, UPSC coaching hub not yet its usual self

A year since three UPSC aspirants drowned to death after flooding of the basement at the IAS academy in Old Rajinder Nagar, the locality wears a deserted look. A ground visit to the spot, which drew national attention for the tragic events of July 27, 2024, revealed a massive decline in physical enrolment at the UPSC coaching centres around the area.

Dwellers in the neighbourhood say the number of students at these training academies has declined to nearly half and those who are enrolled prefer online classes to physical ones.

On July 27 last year, three civil services aspirants — Tania Soni (25), Shreya Yadav (25) and Navin Delvin (28) — lost their lives after a library illegally housed in the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle got flooded during heavy rain. The sudden gush of water reportedly triggered the failure of the building’s single biometric entry and exit system, leaving them trapped.

Today, the once prominent Rau’s Study Circle building, located near the Karol Bagh metro station, stands abandoned with “Available for Rent” posters pasted across its façade. Its new black gates and barricades are the only reminders of what was once a busy centre of academic activity.

Although efforts have been made to address the problem of waterlogging in the area, locals believe these measures have come too late. This correspondent spoke with several residents and shopkeepers in Old Rajinder Nagar, who confirmed that the footfall in the locality has dropped to nearly half of what it was before the incident.

Aman, an employee at a local bookstore, noted the improvement in drainage. “The waterlogging issue is much better now. Earlier, there were thin cemented pipes. Now, proper gutters have been built on both sides of the road,” he said.

However, despite infrastructural upgrades, business has not picked up. Raju, a tea vendor who has been in the area for over 25 years, said, “Earlier, many students came here for tea. That’s how I made my living. Now, barely anyone shows up. I’m struggling to survive.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Ekta, a long-time resident, said, “Earlier, the roads were filled with students. Now, it’s mostly those who’ve cleared prelims and are appearing for Mains. Others only come for a day or two to pick up books.”

Vatsal, another shopkeeper, estimated a steep drop in student presence. “Earlier, 70-80 per cent of the crowd was made up of students. Now, it’s just 20–30 per cent. Most of them come for 8-9 months and then return to their hometowns for self-study. Many are now opting for online sessions while continuing their jobs.”

He added that while a decline in footfall had already been building over the past few years, the 2024 incident drastically accelerated the trend.

Devender, a stationery shop owner, said, “The number of students has reduced to half or even less of what it used to be. Waterlogging has improved, yes — but unless students feel safe and confident about the area’s condition, they won’t come back.”

Local MLA Umang Bajaj, speaking to The Tribune, outlined the steps taken to resolve the flooding issue. “Last year, on this very day, water levels had reached three feet, and basements were submerged. We’ve since built new rainwater drains along both sides of the road, from one end of Old Rajinder Nagar to the other. The Pusa Road, which previously sloped toward this area and caused waterlogging, has been lowered to prevent runoff.”

He added that desilting work had been carried out extensively. “We desilted all new and old drains in Old and New Rajinder Nagar, including Jal Board sewers and PWD drains, using super-suction machines. Even when it rained 82 mm this season, the highest yet, there was no waterlogging of even 3 mm in the area,” he said.

Despite these infrastructural improvements, it is clear that Old Rajinder Nagar has not returned to its former self. A year after the tragedy, the memory of what happened and the fear it evoked continues to cast a shadow over what was once the nerve centre of UPSC preparations in Delhi.