Toddler dies after falling into BWSSB pit in Bengaluru; contractor …

A two-and-a-half year-old son of an Uttar Pradesh couple Monday died at Magadi, Bengaluru, after he fell into a pit dug up by the Karnataka government-run Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for laying pipelines, the police said. According to BWSSB officials, the incident occurred around 10.30 am at Doddagollarahatti when the toddler identified as Karthik, son of migrant worker Hanuman and Hamsa, who was playing near the Thippagondanahalli lake project site fell accidentally into the pit filled with water. The Byadarahalli police have booked the government engineer and the contractor under section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In addition, the BWSSB will lodge a criminal complaint against the contractor on Tuesday for negligence.

The BWSSB officials said that a valve chamber was being constructed for which a pit was dug up as part of the Thippagondanahalli lake project.

The migrant family was living in a labour shed, about 100 feet away from the project site where the work has been going on for three years. The BWSSB officials said that a valve chamber was being constructed for which a pit was dug up as part of the Thippagondanahalli lake project that would cater to Bengaluru's water requirements especially for the industrial sector in Peenya. "The pipes have already been laid and we just have to build a chamber for the valve.

While constructing the chamber we needed to dig the pit. Although there were barricades, we are not sure how the child fell into the pit. This is also the negligence of the onsite engineer who was supposed to be there supervising the work area," said a BWSSB officer who said the chamber would take 8-10 days to complete.

According to the complaint registered by the child's parents, Hamsa who is eight months' pregnant called her husband Hanuman around 10.30 am to inform him about the incident. "When Hanuman reached the spot, he found his son's body floating inside the pit. He alleged that water had filled inside the pit as the BWSSB did not close it after finishing the pipe-laying work, which began nearly a month ago right behind his house," said an officer. Advertisement

The family moved to Doddagollarahatti eight months ago and Hanuman works as a painter for a living.

"We will be filing a criminal case against the contractor for negligence.

Although no amount of compensation will do justice, we will definitely provide support to the family with the appropriate compensation," BWSSB chairman N Jayaram said.