An 11-year-old boy lost his life after falling into an uncovered drain while playing near his home in Mazra Jhundpura village of Ghaziabad, triggering fresh concerns over civic negligence and child safety in residential areas.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the boy, identified as Ahil, was playing about 50 metres from his house. He accidentally slipped into a 2.5-foot-deep open drain that was neither covered nor secured with a boundary wall. According to police officials, local authorities were not informed immediately after the mishap.
Rushed to hospital, declared dead
Family members and neighbours pulled Ahil out of the drain and rushed him in an unconscious state to a private hospital in Pilkhuwa town of neighbouring Hapur district, around 15 kilometres away. Doctors at the facility declared him dead on arrival.
Following a postmortem examination, the body was handed over to the family by the Pilkhuwa police. Ahil was laid to rest on Thursday, leaving the local community in shock and grief.
Residents allege negligence
Residents of the area expressed strong anger against civic authorities, alleging gross negligence. They claimed that the open drain had remained uncovered for a long time despite children frequently playing in the vicinity.
Locals also said this was the second such incident reported in the city this month. Earlier, on January 8, a five-month-old infant had allegedly died after falling into an open drain in Momin Colony. Police have stated that the circumstances surrounding that death are still under investigation.
Wider outrage over safety lapses
The incident comes amid heightened public outrage over unsafe construction and infrastructure practices in the region. The recent death of a 27-year-old software engineer who drowned in a water-filled construction pit in neighbouring Noida has already led to the formation of a Special Investigation Team and multiple arrests.
Residents are now demanding immediate action, including covering open drains, installing safety barriers, and fixing accountability to prevent further tragedies involving children and pedestrians.