MCD junior engineer suspended after boy falls into drain

A junior engineer (JE) of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was suspended on Monday after being held accountable for the incident in which a 15-year-old boy accidentally fell into an open drain in southeast Delhi’s Jasola while trying to retrieve a kite, as chief minister Rekha Gupta had directed action against the official responsible

A junior engineer (JE) of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was suspended on Monday after being held accountable for the incident in which a 15-year-old boy accidentally fell into an open drain in southeast Delhi’s Jasola while trying to retrieve a kite, as chief minister Rekha Gupta had directed action against the official responsible.

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The suspension came after Gupta expressed “strong displeasure and deep sorrow” over the incident and directed the chief secretary to provide details about the drain within an hour and suspend the officer found responsible. Following the chief minister’s directions, the concerned JE was suspended, a government official said.

“Anuj Kumar, JE (M)-IV is hereby placed under suspension for dereliction of duty with immediate effect as a disciplinary proceeding against the said official is contemplated. The said official shall be paid subsistence allowance as per rule and shall not leave the station without permission during the suspension period,” the MCD order, also seen by HT, stated.

The Class 8 student fell into the open drain near a residential area in Jasola village on Saturday morning. He had allegedly gone towards the drain while attempting to retrieve a kite when he slipped and fell into the drain. His family raised an alarm after witnessing the incident.

The Delhi Fire Service received information around 11.54am and sent two fire tenders to the spot. A multi-agency search operation was subsequently launched, with personnel from the Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Boat Club and district administration involved in the efforts to locate the teenager.

NDRF personnel and divers searched the drain and adjoining stretches, while rescue teams also examined areas downstream. The operation is being suspended every night but the search is still on and will resume on Tuesday morning, officials said.

The incident raised questions over the agency responsible for maintaining the drain. The Delhi Jal Board said the drain, which carries treated effluent from the Okhla sewage treatment plant, had been handed over to MCD and was not under its maintenance.

The MCD, however, maintained that the drain belonged to the irrigation and flood-control department, according to the report shared with the chief minister’s office. On Monday, it was confirmed that the drain falls under MCD jurisdiction.

“The case was reviewed and it was found that despite repeatedly claiming to have desilted and cleaned the area, no action was actually taken on ground. Even after the incident was reported, the departments kept passing the buck, leading to delays in the search operation. Such lackadaisical behaviour that can lead to loss of life will not be tolerated,” Gupta said.

Officials said about 150 metres of the drain has accumulated debris, waste and silt deposits, making machinery operation difficult. However, officials said teams will continue the search until the Agra canal downstream.