New Delhi: An employee of a private bank, while riding a bicycle on Thursday night, tragically fell to his death into a pit that had been dug up for a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) project and fenced with green mesh in West Delhi’s Janakpuri. The Delhi government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and suspended three officials.
The body of Kamal Dhayani, 25, a resident of Vikaspuri, and his bike were extracted from the four-metre-deep pit on Joginder Singh Marg around 8.30 a.m. on Friday by the fire department, the police said.
An FIR has been registered under the relevant penal provisions to examine possible negligence and fix responsibility for the tragedy.
The incident, which came close to a similar tragic death of techie Yuvraj Mehta in a water-filled pit in Noida, sparked a political war in the national capital city with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging negligence.
Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh took a serious view of the alleged lapses in the enforcement of safety measures at the project site and ordered an inquiry.
The Minister also placed under suspension the area Executive Engineer (EE), Assistant Engineer (AE) and Junior Engineer (JE) for alleged enforcement lapses.
“A serious view has been taken of the tragic accident at the Janakpuri Line Rehabilitation Project site. Delhi Jal Board has constituted a high-level Inquiry Committee to ensure a transparent investigation into the incident,” said the Minister in a statement on social media after visiting the incident site.
He said the Committee has been directed to inspect the accident site immediately; review safety arrangements, barricading, signage and traffic management; verify compliance with all safety norms; fix responsibility wherever lapses are found and recommend strict corrective and disciplinary action.
The Minister said the safety of citizens is non-negotiable. “Accountability will be enforced. Such incidents will not be allowed to repeat,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Jal Board issued a statement which said, “Preliminary inquiry has indicated that the road and the pit had been barricaded with green mesh. A committee has been formed to inquire whether all public safety measures were taken or not.”
Any DJB official or worker found guilty of laxity will face action, said the statement.
A government statement said that a preliminary inspection of the site indicated that an excavation pit of approximately 6 metres in length, 4 metres in width and around 4.25 metres in depth had been created as part of the ongoing sewer project.
“While certain portions of the road were barricaded, initial observations suggest that safety arrangements around the excavation area were not fully in line with prescribed norms, and movement of two-wheelers was continuing in the vicinity, which raised serious safety concerns,” it said.
Dhayani’s brother told IANS that the incident probably took place between 11.30 p.m. and midnight.
“Last night at 11.30 p.m., we spoke to him. He said he had reached the District Centre and that it would take him 15 more minutes to reach home… After 30 minutes, we called him 10 times, but he didn’t answer the phone. Thereafter, we contacted the police,” he said.
(IANS)
