Delhi minister directs civic agencies to enforce safety norms at worksites after biker's death

Delhi minister directs civic agencies to enforce safety norms at worksites after biker's death

New Delhi, Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday directed officials of the Public Works Department , the Delhi Jal Board and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to strictly adhere to all safety protocols at development and construction sites in the city following the death of a man who fell into a pit dug for DJB work.

Delhi minister directs civic agencies to enforce safety norms at worksites after biker's death

Twenty-five-year-old Kamal Dhyani, a resident of Kailashpuri and an employee at a private bank's call centre, was returning home from his office in Rohini when the accident occurred early Friday.

Sood issued the directions after conducting a joint inspection of the site along with senior officials from the PWD, DJB, Delhi Police, the Revenue Department and the MCD.

According to a statement, the inspection was aimed at reviewing the circumstances leading to the incident and putting in place measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Terming the incident "extremely serious", the minister said public safety would not be compromised under any circumstances. He said a technical and administrative investigation would be conducted to fix responsibility and ensure accountability at every level.

The statement said prima facie negligence has been found in the matter, and officers concerned have been placed under suspension with immediate effect. An FIR has also been registered by the Delhi Police against DJB officials and the contractor involved, while legal proceedings have been initiated.

Action for arrest is being taken in cases where contractor negligence is established, it said.

Sood said if the involvement of any DJB official is found during the investigation, strict legal action will be taken against them as well. He added that the chief minister is closely monitoring the matter and has directed zero tolerance in cases involving public safety.

The minister instructed all departments to ensure adequate safety arrangements at worksites, including proper barricading, reflectors, lighting during night hours and deployment of traffic marshals.

He also stressed that written permission from local police must be obtained before starting any construction work.

According to the statement, the road where the incident occurred is a busy stretch connecting Vikaspuri and nearby areas. To reduce inconvenience to commuters, a joint assessment by traffic and civic agencies has been carried out, and arrangements have been made to allow smooth movement of vehicles on a single carriageway, it read.

Sood also said that the DJB had issued a circular on January 24 directing departments to ensure safety and monitoring at worksites. He said the urban development department would write to all concerned agencies to clearly fix accountability.

"The loss of life is deeply tragic. While it cannot be undone, the government will ensure that those responsible are not spared and that such negligence is not repeated," the minister said.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the 15-foot pit was a part of the ongoing DJB construction work and had been barricaded, police said.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.