Two minors enter rainwater-filled pit near DDA flats in Narela, drown

Two boys, aged nine and 11, tragically drowned in a rainwater-filled pit near DDA flats in Narela, Delhi on Thursday. The incident occurred at 100 Foota, close to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) flats. Preliminary inquiries suggest that the children, who resided in Bawana, had ventured into the pit with the intention of swimming.

Upon learning of the tragic event, the police promptly arrived at the scene. The boys were swiftly rescued from the pit and transported to SRHC Hospital in Narela, where medical professionals pronounced them dead. Local residents reported that the pit had been dug during construction work and subsequently filled with rainwater.

The DDA issued a statement addressing the incident, clarifying that they had secured the vacant plot with a boundary wall to deter unauthorized access. However, they acknowledged that portions of the wall had been repeatedly damaged by miscreants despite their repair efforts. The DDA also noted that such incidents of damage, theft, and unauthorized activities in the area had been reported to the local police through complaints, FIRs, and various communications.

To enhance policing in the area, the DDA has allocated a flat in Pocket-4 for the establishment of a police chowki, as well as offered two additional LIG flats in Sector G7/G8 for setting up a police camp office. The authority expressed its willingness to cooperate fully with the police and is exploring additional preventive measures, including strengthening the boundary and implementing enhanced surveillance of vulnerable vacant plots in the area to prevent similar tragedies.

Local residents expressed their dissatisfaction with the incident, alleging negligence and calling for appropriate action to prevent future occurrences. Mamun, a neighbor of the deceased, recounted that the boys had gone to school on Thursday morning and possibly entered the pit later in the day to take a bath. The police have initiated necessary legal proceedings, and an ongoing inquiry is being conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragic accident.