18-month-old falls into open drain, dies

MUMBAI: A drain opened by a local resident to insert an unauthorised pipe claimed the life of an 18-month-old boy on Sunday evening in Bhandup West.
Krishana Omprakash Gupta fell into the open drain at Maurya Hall on Gaondevi Road at 6:21pm. However, the incident was reported to disaster control on Monday at 5:38pm. Even the BMC got to know about it on Monday evening.
Krishana was declared brought dead at MT Agrawal Hospital. Shridhar Chaudhary, chief engineer, storm water drain, told HT, “I have seen the nallah photographs and got some feedback. Somebody laid an unauthorised pipe into the drain by removing the cover.”
The large drain on Gaondevi Road is typically open, though some local residents have reportedly covered parts of it for convenience. The victim’s family had allegedly encroached on the drain and partially covered it, leaving a small opening for household waste discharge.
According to the disaster control department, the child is believed to have fallen through this opening.
Chaudhary further said that so far, no FIR has been registered in the case. “We have asked the S ward to investigate which house the pipe was connected to and take action. It is a roadside drain where the existing cover of the drain was broken by a slumdweller, and a sludge pipe inserted into it. The boy fell through the gap. It was unfortunate.”
Bharat Kasgikar, assistant commissioner, S ward, was unavailable for comment.