Bhubaneswar: A ragpicker who fell into a drain near Vani Vihar on Saturday afternoon remains untraced even on the second day of an intensive multi-agency search operation, with rescue teams continuing efforts along the drainage channel and up to the mouth of the Gangua River.
The incident occurred around 4 pm on Saturday when the man, identified as 35-year-old Anil Naik, reportedly slipped into the drain while collecting plastic waste along with another ragpicker.
Eyewitnesses said he was swiftly swept away by the strong current of drain water, while his companion’s attempt to rescue him failed due to the force of the flow and accumulated waste in the channel.
Following the incident, fire service personnel launched a rescue operation that continued for nearly five hours on Saturday evening but failed to yield any results. The search resumed on Sunday with intensified efforts, involving four fire service teams deployed at multiple strategic locations, including downstream stretches and the mouth of the Gangua River.
Assistant Fire Officer Manaranjan Rout said that despite extensive search operations lasting around nine hours on Sunday, no trace of the missing man was found.
Along with the fire services, personnel from the police and the drainage wing of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) have also been engaged in the search operation.
Teams are examining choke points, debris accumulation zones, and downstream flow paths where the victim may have been trapped.
The search operation will continue on Monday, with teams closely monitoring key sections of the drain network as efforts to trace the missing man enter the second day.
