Coastal road site drowning: Mumbai civic body to quiz contractor

A 12-year-old boy died after falling into a pit dug in Worli as part of the project

Two days after a 12-year-old boy died after falling into a pit dug as part of the coastal road project in Worli, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said that it will seek clarification about the incident from the contractor of the construction site. However, the contractor has said the site was barricaded and safety measures were followed.

The pit in which the boy drowned on Friday.(HT PHOTO)

On Friday, Bablu Paswan drowned after he fell into the pit. The local police had registered a case of accidental death in the matter. According to the police, Paswan slipped and fell into the pit around 5pm when he, along with two of his friends, went inside the construction site.

RS Kuknoor, deputy municipal commissioner, said, “All precautions were taken by the contractor. Barricading and signs were also put up, but there have been instances of people trespassing into the site. The contractor tried to prevent it but somehow the locals nearby manage to enter. We will seek clarification from the contractor on the same.”

Praveen Pardeshi, municipal commissioner, said, “We acknowledge that more steps need to be taken to keep people off the construction site.”

According to BMC officials, no one was expected to go inside the construction site as it is located close to the sea. The police investigations also revealed that the boys went inside the construction site via the nearby slums, BMC officials said.

However, Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), the contractor concerned, said safety measures were followed. In a statement, HCC said, “The project site is barricaded. Safety signage are posted prominently. Security personnel are deployed at the site. Safety and security at all project sites is paramount for us. The trespassing unfortunately happened despite precautions taken at the project site. The authorities are investigating the incident, and we are extending full cooperation to them.”

Sachin Ahir, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from Worli, said, “I have spoken to the BMC chief and requested him to take action against the contractor and officials concerned. No one should be able to enter the construction site, and this incident could have been avoided by taking corrective measures.”