Open drain mishap: Housing & Urban Development Minister demands BMC report by evening

Bhubaneswar, June 19: After the minor boy died after being swept away in an open drain at Unit-III Maszid Colony in Bhubaneswar, the Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra visited the colony and reviewed the situation.

The Minister met the family members of the deceased and assured them to take firm action against those accountable for the incident.

The Minister has also instructed the Bhubaneswar Municipal Commissioner (BMC) to provide a report explaining the absence of barricades near the drain. The civic body commissioner has been directed to submit the report by this evening.

Worth mentioning, a 10 year old boy identified as Abu Bakar died on Tuesday after being swept away in an open drain in Masjeed Colony in Unit-III area in Bhubaneswar.

While playing outside his home in the rain, Bakar fell into an open drain while attempting to retrieve a balloon that had drifted on the water, according to his family members. He was swept away by the strong current, prompting immediate searches by his relatives and neighbors along the drain. Subsequently, two fire tender units joined the search operation. After an hour-long effort, one of his relatives located him in a nullah at Laxmi Sagar and promptly handed him over to the fire brigade team.

He was rushed to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar by a special ambulance in a critical condition. However, he was declared dead by the doctors.