Fatal fall: 7-yr-old kid drowns in uncovered soak pit, dies

Raipur: A child died after falling into an open concrete soak pit in Gulmohar Park PMAY Colony, Zone-7, due to delays in resolving a dispute with a private property owner and subsequent construction by the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC). Residents accused the RMC of negligence and staged a chakka jam. Sources indicate the soak pit was open for approximately four months.
Executive Engineer Anshul Sharma stated that three children from the colony entered the water-filled soak pit near a septic tank, possibly to bathe. The septic tank's water was overflowing onto the road, and the soak pit was constructed to store the overflow but was left open due to a dispute with the private property owner. "We communicated with the tehsildar and the local patwari for a measurement before making the soak pit concrete and covering it following a dispute. It should have been done immediately without any delay," Sharma said.
The three children, including Divyansh, 7, began to drown after entering the soak pit. Local residents rescued them, and the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) arrived and assisted in rushing them to the hospital. Divyansh died during treatment, while the other two children, Priyanshu Sen, 6, and Anshu Sen, 5, are receiving treatment and are reportedly in stable condition. Anshu is out of danger, and Priyanshu requires medical attention, according to an RMC spokesperson.
Senior officials met with the deceased child's family to inform them about compensation and administrative support as per norms. RMC Commissioner Vishwadeep issued show-cause notices to the Zone 7 Commissioner, Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineer, Sub Engineer, and the contractor for the PMAY project, M/s Madhusudan Agrawal, seeking an explanation.
In a separate incident in Chhattisgarh Nagar near Sheetla Temple under Zone 6 of the RMC, a child fell into an open pit dug for drinking water pipeline work while playing. A passerby rescued the child, who is now safe.
To prevent future incidents, Commissioner Vishwadeep issued show-cause notices to Zone 6 Commissioner Hiten Yadav, Executive Engineer, In-charge Assistant Engineer, Sub Engineer, and waterworks contractor Kamal Ratre, demanding a written explanation within 24 hours. The Commissioner directed all officials across municipal zones to ensure that waterworks pits are filled immediately after work, safety barricades are installed, and red flags are placed around the sites. He warned of unilateral disciplinary action for non-compliance.
Meanwhile, Raipur Mayor Meenal Choubey has directed that all open manholes of septic tanks and sump wells in BSUP and PMAY colonies, as well as other municipal premises, be covered within 24 hours on top priority to prevent any future mishaps. The work may also be carried out under the ongoing 15th Finance Commission action plan as needed. Zone commissioners have been instructed to inspect the sites and submit a list of locations with size and specifications within 24 hours to ensure the availability of appropriate drain covers. The commissioner emphasised the urgency of the task and instructed all zone commissioners to treat it as a top priority.