3-yr-old slips into open gutter, dies

The BMC and other agencies don’t seem to have drawn a lesson from the tragic mishap involving Dr Deepak Amrapurkar, renowned gastroenterologist, who fell into an open man hole and died on August 29, 2017.

On Thursday, even though the monsoon is yet to hit the city, a three-year-old toddler drowned to death after he slipped into an open gutter at Cheeta Camp, Chembur east.

Aadiyan Parvez Tamboli, the tiny tot, drifted towards an open gutter and was capsized in the swirling water. Eye witnesses say he may be a resident of the nearby slums, from where he strayed onto M J Road, near a jewellery shop, before falling into the open manhole.

"The gutter had opened after the drainage overflowed. And since there was heavy rain, the opening could not be seen by a naked eye," said a resident.

Nobody seems to know anything about the toddler’s parents or relatives. A staff worker in the M/East ward helped retrieve the toddler and rushed him to Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi, where he was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.

Shahnawaz Shaikh, the corporator of All India Majlis-e-Ittehaddul Muslimeen (AIMIM) at Cheeta Camp, lashed out at the BMC for its negligence in not providing nets or covers on open gutters and manholes. “These officials are neglecting all areas, except island city, where they reside,” alleged Shaikh.

"A three year old boy dies because no safety measures are taken by the corporation. I had written letters regarding lack of desilting in our area, but nobody paid heed to it," Shaikh said.

Shaikh has filed an official complaint against the Assistant Commissioner of M/East Ward as well as maintenance and storm water drains department for dereliction of duty.

Srinivas Khilje, the assistant commissioner, was not available for comment despite several attempts to reach him.

The residents have alleged the BMC neglects their areas deliberately.

“The BMC had only completed one percent of their job and they were gloating over their monsoon preparedness. In just three days of rain, the city has already seen three deaths, and this one is a baby,” lamented a resident of Cheeta Camp.

The death sent shock waves across the city as public has raised questions upon the corporation's ability to pre-empt such mishaps. Moreover, the civic officials from the storm water drains (SWD) department had this week said there was no likelihood of any untoward mishaps happening in these rains.