A one-and-a-half-year-old toddler tragically lost his life after falling into an open nullah in Bhandup West on Sunday evening. The incident surfaced the following day after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party workers staged a protest at the 'S' Ward office on Monday, demanding accountability for the tragedy. However, the BMC stated that the locals had covered the drain for convenience, leaving only a small opening to allow the outlet of home waste pipes. Unfortunately, it was through this opening that the child fell into the nullah.
The incident occurred near Mourya Hall on Gaondevi Road on Sunday evening, when an 18-month-old boy, Krishna Omprakash, went missing while playing outside his house. His parents, after realising he was missing for a prolonged period, launched a search and filed a missing person report at the local police station. "During the search, Krishna's grandmother grew suspicious and decided to check the nearby nullah (drain). She then discovered the child's body lying in the silt inside the nullah. Krishna's father, who runs a tea stall in the area, was devastated by the discovery. "The tragic incident has disturbed the family," said a local resident. The boy was immediately rushed to MT Agrawal Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
Shirish Sawant, MNS leader and candidate contesting the state assembly election from Bhandup, commented on the tragic incident, saying, "We have asked the ward official to take necessary action and ensure the drain is cleaned periodically. They cannot place the blame on the residents; it is their responsibility to remove the silt and take precautions to prevent such incidents." Police officials mentioned, "the toddler, allegedly, fell into the nullah, while playing in the area. The nullah was filled with sewage water, and it is suspected that the child drowned, which is believed to be the cause of death."
Dattatray Khandagle, senior police inspector of Bhandup police station said, "We have registered a case of accidental death in the matter. The body of the toddler has been sent for postmortem and as per it's report we will proceed with the investigation." Meanwhile, as per information received by the BMC's Disaster Management Cell from the S ward office, "The major nalla drain on Gaondevi Road is mostly an open drain, but at some locations, local residents have covered parts of it for their convenience. The victims family had also encroached on the drain, closing it off with only a small opening for the outlet of their home waste pipe. It is believed that the child fell through this opening," said the BMC's report.
Officials from the S Ward, along with the storm water drain staff, inspected the site on Monday evening to assess the situation and determine further actions. Bhaskar Kasgikar, assistant municipal commissioner of S ward was not available for comment.
