Ghaziabad: Woman drowns in drain after wall collapse during rain

The police reached the spot but could not rope in divers as it is a major drain and there was heavy flow due to rainfall

Ghaziabad: A 30-year-old woman drowned in a major drain after the wall of her shanty near Vivekanand Nagar rail-over-bridge in Ghaziabad collapsed during incessant rains on Wednesday night. Police recovered her body in the morning, officers said on Thursday.

The municipal corporation has planned a project to strengthen the drain and construction of a motorable road over it near the Crossings Republik township. (Sakiba Ali/HT Photo)

Police identified the deceased as Junaida Khatoon, originally from Khagariya, Bihar. The incident took place around 10pm, they added.

“The police reached the spot. But we could not rope in divers as it is a major drain and there was heavy flow due to rainfall. The body was finally discovered around 7am on Thursday after the water level subsided and it was sent for autopsy,” said assistant commissioner of police (Kavi Nagar circle) Bhaskar Verma.

Mohammad Irshad, 35, a daily wager and husband of the deceased, said it occurred as the drain-side wall of his shanty collapsed during rain. “My wife also fell into the drain along with the wall since she was near it, trying to save household items. I had just returned from work. I could not help her as I cannot swim. Her body was found about 2 kms away after the water subsided on Thursday,” he added.

An HT team found that about two dozen similar shanties were located adjacent to the drain.

The width of the drain is about 10-14 metres at different places. It connects to various other drains coming in from areas of the South Side industrial area, Bulandshahr road industrial area, Loha Mandi, industrial area, Vivekanand Nagar, Sector 23 Sanjay Nagar, and Vijay Nagar before heading towards Crossings Republik township, officials said.

The municipal corporation has planned a project to strengthen the drain and construction of a motorable road over it near the Crossings Republik township. The project cost is estimated at ₹132 crore.

RC Gupta, zonal in-charge of the civic body, said the land where the shanties are located belongs to the UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA).

“There are a number of shanties that have come up adjacent to the drain, and it poses a risk. Similar encroachments have also come up alongside the drain downstream. We will soon launch a drive to get the land vacated,” said UPSIDA’s regional manager Pradeep Kumar Satyarthi.