A six-year-old boy died after drowning in a 15-foot-deep water-filled pit at a residential complex in Greater Noida on Saturday, with residents alleging that the excavation site had no barricades or warning signs.
The victim, identified as Avyaan Surya, was playing cricket with friends when he accidentally fell into the pit at Kaladham Society, a residential colony for artists. The pit was reportedly dug by the Greater Noida Authority for boring work. Residents rescued the child and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 7 pm. Pranjal Rajput, a resident of the society, said he was washing his car when a child ran towards him, shouting that a boy had fallen into a pit. He rushed to the spot and found a security guard preparing to enter the water.
The guard jumped into the pit, followed by three to four residents, who searched for the child for several minutes before locating him. The boy was pulled out and attempts were made to revive him before he was taken to hospital.
Residents said they were unaware that such a deep pit existed within the society premises and alleged that the site had not been properly secured. They termed the incident a case of serious negligence, claiming that the absence of proper barricades and warning signs had turned the excavation into a deadly hazard.
The child’s father, Siwan Yadav, an art teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya, said he and his wife, who works as a nurse with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, rushed outside their home after hearing commotion.
He said they saw residents attempting to rescue the child from the pit. He alleged that no child could have escaped from such a deep pit. Holding the authorities responsible, he said his son’s life had been lost because of negligence.
AK Singh, General Manager of the Greater Noida Authority, said the excavation had been undertaken without the knowledge of senior officials. The authority had approved the installation of a tubewell after residents complained about water supply issues, but the work was to be carried out at a different location.
According to him, the contractor, Manoj Jain, started the work two days ago without informing the authority. He didn’t install adequate barricades around the excavation. Only two bamboo poles had been placed around the pit, terming it a grave negligence of the contractor.
The police arrested the contractor and registered a case against Greater Noida Authority supervisor Johnny and technical supervisor Akash Rajput. Further investigation is underway.