West Vinod Nagar residents allege 75-yr-old woman fell into open drain

Residents of West Vinod Nagar, Delhi, report a 75-year-old woman injured by an open drain, raising safety concerns amid ongoing repair work.

Residents of West Vinod Nagar, in east Delhi’s Mandawali, raised concerns over an open drain where they said work had been ongoing for more than 10 days, alleging that a 75-year-old woman had been injured after falling into it.

The woman fell in the drain covered with tree branches. There are two open pits on the other side of the street. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

“Due to the work nearby, there is only a narrow passageway to enter into the street. On Tuesday, the woman slipped and fell from the edge of the passageway when two other people were passing through it,” said one local, asking not to be named.

Residents identified the woman as Babli Devi and said she had sustained head injuries in the fall. HT could not reach the woman for comment.

On Wednesday HT visited the spot, which lies at the entrance to a street in the locality. Workers at the site said they were from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and were repairing the water lines.

In its response, DJB said it had investigated the matter and found that the drain is managed by the PWD. No response had been received from the department till the time of going to print.  

A part of the drain was covered with tree branches, which is where the woman had allegedly slipped. A work in progress was lying on its side. To enter and exit the street, residents and locals have to ensure not to step into this as well as two open pits on the opposite side of the road.

Similar open drains were present at multiple other street entrances in the locality.

“A small barricade used to be there, but some residents had removed it a few days ago to use the passage despite the drain,” said the resident quoted earlier.

“It is very difficult for people to enter or exit this street. The road should be cleared up, and at least the drain should be properly covered,” another resident.

A police team from the Mandawali police station visited the spot on Wednesday and stated that they are conducting an enquiry. A police officer, requesting anonymity, said that they had not received any complaint or call regarding the incident.