Citywide safety inspections at coaching centres; hundreds of buildings sealed: Delhi Mayor

A multi-agency drive to inspect coaching centres and other educational institutes is underway across Delhi to ensure compliance with fire and building safety norms, Mayor Pravesh Wahi said on Tuesday.

The move comes a day after a fire at a coaching centre in Lucknow left at least 15 dead, most of them students.

“The inspections are being carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Fire Services, police and other agencies not only in coaching hubs such as Mukherjee Nagar and Old Rajendra Nagar but across the city,” Wahi said.

He added that in the past few days, the MCD has taken action against many such properties where there was a risk to life and property.

“Hundreds of properties have been sealed, and demolition drives have been carried out against illegal constructions, especially buildings with unauthorised fifth and sixth floors,” the mayor said.

Wahi said a special team has been constituted under the supervision of District Magistrate and the police, with departments, including MCD and Delhi Fire Services, carrying out inspections in different parts of the city.

“Continuous action is already underway not only in Rajendra Nagar, but across South Delhi, North Delhi and other areas as well,” he said, while urging residents, RWAs and NGOs to report violations that could pose a threat to public safety.

Also Read: Delhi: Waterlogging makes a comeback ahead of monsoon

The Lucknow fire tragedy has renewed scrutiny of fire and building safety standards in Delhi’s densely populated student hubs, particularly Mukherjee Nagar and Old Rajendra Nagar, where thousands of aspirants go to coaching institutes operating out of mixed-use and commercial buildings.

Concerns over safety in such areas have persisted since a fire broke out at a coaching centre in Mukherjee Nagar in June 2023, resulting a large-scale evacuation of students and exposing deficiencies in emergency preparedness and compliance with fire safety norms.

Earlier this month, a fire at a five-storey hotel in Hauz Rani in south Delhi killed 23 people, including foreign nationals from Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Congo, Mozambique and Liberia, bringing attention to violations of fire and building safety norms in commercial establishments.