Two minors drown in rainwater-filled pit in Narela area
Two minor boys, aged nine and 11, drowned in a rainwater-filled pit near DDA Flats in Delhi’s Narela area on Thursday, police said.
The incident took place at 100 Foota in the Narela area, where the children, residents of Bawana, had allegedly gone to play. Police received information about the drowning and rushed to the spot, where the children were pulled out with the help of local residents. They were taken to Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela, where doctors declared them dead, police said. The bodies were sent for medico-legal proceedings, and further investigation is underway, police said.
A family member said one of the children had left home at around 10 am after taking some money from his father, who works as a labourer, to buy candies. He was a class 5 student. “We got information about the accident and reached the spot. I told police that I was his aunt. The police took the children to the hospital in an ambulance,” the boy’s aunt Ladli said.
The mother of the other child said she was away at work when she received a call from local residents informing her that her son had drowned. “He went for tuition at around 10 am. I was calling to find out whether he had returned from tuition. I don’t know why he went there,” she said.
Following the incident, DDA said in a statement that it had secured the vacant plot through construction of a boundary wall to prevent unauthorised access. “However, portions of the boundary wall have been repeatedly damaged by miscreants despite repairs undertaken by DDA. Such incidents of damage, theft and unauthorised activities in the area have also been brought to the notice of the local police through complaints/FIRs and other communications from time to time,” it said.
The statement said DDA has repeatedly taken up the issue of law and order and security in the area with the Delhi Police. “To strengthen policing in the area, DDA has already allotted a flat in Pocket-4 for the establishment of a police chowki. Further, two additional LIG flats in Sector G7/G8 have also been offered for setting up a police camp office,” it read.
The authority said it is extending all necessary cooperation to police, and preventive measures, including strengthening of the boundary and enhanced surveillance of vulnerable vacant plots in the area, are also being examined to avoid recurrence of such incidents.
Eyewitness Mohammad Shahnawaz said he was informed that two children were in the water and rushed to the spot.
“Some people had seen that the children had already drowned. We tried to rescue them and informed police. With the help of local residents, we managed to pull both children out,” he said.
The incident occurred at a pit located on vacant land near the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flats. Residents alleged that the pit had been created during construction work and was subsequently filled with rainwater.
The family members of the minors and local residents alleged negligence in maintaining the site and sought action to prevent similar incidents. The incident comes amid heavy monsoon activity in the national capital, with several areas witnessing waterlogging and accumulation of rainwater.
Police said the exact circumstances in which the children entered the pit and the sequence of events leading to their drowning are being ascertained.
Police also appealed to all parents/guardians to keep strict watch on children during the monsoon season and prevent them from playing near open pits, drains, and water bodies.
