A 21-year-old B.Com student, Ayush Halarnkar, lost his life when his motorcycle plunged into a trench dug for sewerage work under the Panaji Smart City Project, according to various media reports. Ayush, a second-year student at Dhempe College of Arts and Science, was riding his Royal Enfield in the early hours of Monday, heading to meet a friend in Mala.
According to the police, around 3:45 am, Ayush's motorcycle crashed into wooden planks near the trench, leading to the fatal accident. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was declared dead on arrival. The family received the body after post-mortem, and no formal complaint has been filed by them.
Government official says no negligence found
Neighbors and relatives asserted that the dug-up area lacked adequate barricading, signage, or reflector tapes. They contended that proper safety measures could have prevented this tragedy. A government official associated with the Smart City Project stated that preliminary findings suggested no negligence, as the dug-up area had double barricading. However, they are scrutinizing CCTV footage to gain further insights.
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In a previous update on the Panaji Smart City Project, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs mentioned that, as of November 24, 2023, 16 projects worth Rs 341.79 crore had been completed, while 19 projects worth Rs 594.96 crore were at various stages of implementation out of a total of 35 projects valued at Rs 936.75 crore.
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