‘We had often complained of state of BMC park where kids drowned’

The group had taken issue with the poor lighting, the dilapidated roof of a gazebo, and a low wall that allowed unnoticed entries, all compromising the park’s safety

MUMBAI:

Mumbai, India - March 18, 2024: Mother Sonu manoj kavtiya, resident of Subhas Nagar, Wadala bridge, sits beside notice board, after her 2 sons, Ankush age 6 and Arjun age 4, died due to drowning in open water tank yesterday, at Maharshi Karve Udyan at Wadala, in Mumbai, India, on Monday, March 18, 2024. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Barely two months before four-year-old Arjun and five-year-old Ankush were found dead in an open water tank in the BMC’s Maharishi Karve garden in Wadala West on Monday, the Wadala Citizens Forum had complained to the civic body about the condition of the park. The group had taken issue with the poor lighting, the dilapidated roof of a gazebo, and a low wall that allowed unnoticed entries, all compromising the park’s safety.

“We met the ward officer Chakrapani Alle, and sent him a complaint letter on January 31,” said a member of the forum. “The inadequate lights in the park made it extremely unsafe post-sundown. Also, children and adults would jump over the low wall to escape the notice of the two security guards. The BMC shared that wall with the estate department, so the officers would say it wasn’t possible to increase the height.”

The member added that whenever locals complained to the BMC about the state of the park, its officials would say they had budget constraints. “In the last meeting with the ward officer, he had instructed other officials to look into our complaints, but nothing changed,” she said. “An official told us she had written to BEST for more light poles, but our inputs on where the poles were needed were not taken, nor was the letter shared.”

The surfacing of these old complaints have added to the din of voices calling for justice for the children, who were from the utensil-selling Waghri community.

Ravi Raja, former Congress corporator, said that an FIR needed to be filed against the contractor and BMC officials in charge of the park. “The BMC should also give the family compensation,” he said. “When Dr Deepak Amrapurkar died in 2017 from falling into an open manhole, there was an immediate uproar. But just because this family is poor, nothing is being done.”

The petition and Bombay high court proceedings filed after Dr Amrapurkar’s death could possibly give the family grounds to claim compensation for the children’s death, said Ruju Thakker, who had filed the petition and is considering approaching the court regarding the children’s deaths.

“This water tank is in a BMC park which is a public space, so the order calling for all open manholes to be covered with protective grills should apply to it too,” she said. “As per the judge’s order, the municipal commissioner will be held responsible in the case of loss of life or limb due to open manholes. Alongside this, an FIR should be filed, holding the BMC officials liable, as it was their negligence that led to the children’s death.” When contacted, a police officer from Matunga police station said they would be filing an FIR under Section 304 A against “unknown officials responsible for the park’s maintenance” by Tuesday night.

Kishore Gandhi, deputy municipal commissioner in charge of gardens, said that a contractor had been entrusted with the maintenance of the park. “An inquiry will be held to figure out whose lapse it was that led to the water tank being left uncovered,” he said. “Based on that, action will be taken.”