10-month-old drowns in Ggm drain, locals allege negligence

GURUGRAM: A 10-month-old girl child died after she allegedly slipped into an open drain, about 1.5 feet deep, while playing with her cousin in Sector 31 on Monday evening. Her family has alleged negligence on part of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram. No FIR has been registered yet in the case, police said.

The incident took place around 4.15pm in front of the hutment where victim Devika’s grandfather, Tek Chand Panwar, lives. Panwar, who irons clothes for a living, said he was working in his shed when his grandson came out with the toddler.

“Suraj took his mother’s mobile phone and was playing a game on it. He forgot to attend to Devika who crawled to the drain and fell into it. After a few minutes, I did not find her around. We started looking for her and found her floating in the drain 20 metres away,” he said.

The family members said that they rushed her to a hospital where doctors declared her brought dead. According to the family, she died due to drowning as water was found in her lungs.

“Had the MCG covered the drain, my daughter would have been alive,” said Luxmi Panwar, mother of the deceased, alleging negligence on part of MCG.

Locals said, the open area adjacent to the drain attracts children from nearby slums to play and their parents have several times requested the Sector 31 residents to write to civic agencies about the open drain.

Members of resident welfare association said they had written to the station house officer of Sector 40 police station and to MCG commissioner to provide missing basic amenities. “It’s been nine months since we have been writing to the local politicians and the civic agencies, but no action has been taken. Our sector is one of the most neglected one by the MCG,” said Daman Dewan, RWA president, Sector 31.