The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that a five-year-old boy died after falling into an open drain in the Alipur area of North West Delhi on 7th October 2024. Reportedly, the contractor, who worked there, had left the drain opened at various places without placing any warning signs. This is the fifth such incident in the national capital in the recent past.

The Commission has observed the contents of the news report about the instant case and similar incidents in the recent past, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the victims due to apparent negligence of the civic authorities. It is indeed very concerning that such incidents indicating negligence by the public authorities continue to happen in the national capital. Many human lives were reported lost due to drowning and electrocution in Delhi of which it had taken suo motu cognizance and asked the authorities to be vigilant.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi, the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the Vice-Chairman, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Delhi calling for a detailed report within four weeks.

The report is expected to include the status of the FIRs in all such cases, action taken against the responsible officials, and compensation if any, paid to the next of kin of the deceased persons. The Commission would also like to know about the steps taken/ proposed by the authorities to stop the recurrence of such incidents.

According to the media report, carried on 8th October 2024, earlier this month, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl lost her life after falling into an open drain in northeast Delhi's Khajuri Khas. In September, a 32-year-old man died after falling into an open drain in northeast Delhi's Bhajanpura. In August, the body of a seven-year-old boy was found in an open drain in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar. Again in August, a man died after falling into a drain in the Paschim Vihar area. In July, the death of a woman and her son in a drain in east Delhi's Ghazipur created a big storm. Another person died after his car fell into a drain in north Delhi's Burari in the same month.

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NSK