No barricades or warning signs; Boy drowns in 15-foot-deep pit

NEW DELHI: In a tragic incident, a six-year-old boy died after falling in a water filled pit at Knowledge Park in Greater Noida. The dead is Avyaan Surya, son of Siwan Yadav, vice principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya.

The child fell into a pit dug by the Greater Noida Authority for borewell work at a depth of about 15 feet. The pit was filled with water in the heavy rains that lashed. Locals alleged that no safety barricades or warning boards were around the pit. Avyaan fell into the pit while playing with other children. The locals immediately pulled the child out and took him to the hospital, but the doctors declared him dead.

Following the incident, the local residents strongly protested against the Greater Noida Authority. Locals alleged that the negligence of the authorities was the cause of the accident. Locals also reminded the incident where a software engineer died after his car fell into a water-filled pit near a construction site in Noida. Locals also said that the authority had earlier assured that open pits in the city would be made safe.

SDM Sadar Ashutosh Gupta, who visited the spot, said that there were no barricades around the pit. He said that legal action will be taken if negligence is found on the side of the contractor.