The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) are in loggerheads over the death of a woman and her three-year-old son by drowning in east Delhi’s Ghazipur during the torrential downpour on Wednesday. While the DDA claimed that the drain belongs to MCD, AAP targetted Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena who is also the head of the DDA over the death.
This comes a day after Tanuja and her three-year-old son Priyansh slipped and fell into the waterlogged under-construction drain around 8 pm on Wednesday, amid heavy rain in the area. They had gone to a weekly market near Khoda Colony.
The (DDA) blamed the MCD for the death, stating that the major portion of the drain where the tragedy struck has been handed over to the MCD while their part is covered with Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) slabs. “The total length of the drain along the Khoda Colony side is 1350 meters. Out of which, 1000 meters of the drain, along with the adjoining road, was handed over to the MCD a considerable time ago. The remaining 350 meters of the drain, extending from the Truck parking plot (Bus Terminal) to the PWD road, is under the jurisdiction of the DDA,” a statement by DDA said.
The added that recently, the de-silting of the 350-metre section of the drain under the DDA’s jurisdiction was completed, and this section was subsequently covered with RCC slabs. “Additionally, a screen was installed at the junction point of the MCD and the DDA drains to prevent the flow of garbage into this drain,” the statement stated.
It added that the tragic incident took place in the MCD drain. “Their bodies were found at the junction point of the MCD and DDA drains, where a screen is installed, which is approximately 500 meters from the drowning site,” it stated, adding that the 350-meter section of the drain under the jurisdiction of DDA is fully covered.
Putting the onus on the DDA, MCD stated that the incident of drowning happened in an under construction DDA drain near Ambedkar Gate of Khoda Colony (UP - Delhi border). “The road and drain where the incident took place is under construction by DDA (DDA jurisdiction). The drain is about 10 to 12 feet deep and the same is running along the 120-150 feet road of DDA starting from Khoda Chowk towards Mayur Vihar Phase-III,” the statement read.
Earlier, the AAP targetted Saxena over the drowning of a woman and her toddler in an under-construction DDA drain in Ghazipur and demanded action against the erring officials, terming it as “unfortunate”.
“The DDA was carrying out the work of redevelopment of the drain. The Lt Governor is the chairman of the DDA. The officials directly report to him. We demand action against the Lt Governor,” Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, accusing the BJP of “maintaining” silence over the incident that he termed as “murder”.