Death of 8-year-old in storm water drain: PIL filed against BBMP

Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Rajyasabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar file PIL for initiation of criminal action against errant BBMP officials who were responsible for open storm water drain.

A Public Interest Litigation has been initiated by Bangalore-based NGO Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) asking for criminal proceedings against the BBMP officials responsible for open drain in Bilekanahalli. Excerpts from the press note from Namma Bengaluru Foundation:

In the aftermath of the death of Geetha Lakshmi, the eight-year-old, who fell into an open flooded drain; and Yeshwant, a 12-year old, who fell into an open unsecured flooded pit respectively, Namma Bengaluru Foundation and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament have filed a public interest litigation in the High Court of Karnataka today. (October 9, 2014)

The PIL filed in the Karnataka High Court on Thursday seeks directions of the court to the State to conduct an enquiry to identify the administrators and officers derelict in the conduct of their statutory duties, leaving  drains uncovered, and are thus criminally culpable for their negligence.

The PIL also prays for a direction from the court, to the Chief Secretary to initiate criminal prosecutions against such deviant and errant officers, who are guilty of criminal negligence, resulting in the failure of governance and administration in the city.

The petitioners have highlighted several similar tragedies in the past resultant of the negligence and callousness on the part of authorities. The deaths of Pukhraj Jain who died falling into an open flooded drain right outside his house; Rihan, a three-year-old toddler being washed away in a storm water drain just behind his house in Roopena Agrahara in 2011; six-year-old Abhishek being washed away in an open drain in Lingarajapuram in 2009 have been highlighted in the PIL. It has been pleaded that none of these deaths have led to criminal liability being fastened on the officials guilty of criminal negligence. 

In an effort to ensure such tragedies are not repeated, the petition also seeks directions to the Secretary, Urban Development Department and the Commissioner, BBMP to prepare  a time-bound, comprehensive plan of action for undertaking and establishing safety and security mechanisms, pertaining to public drains and other utility services such as electricity supply etc. Chandrasekhar has also sought a direction from the court to the BBMP to undertake immediate steps to close all open drains and manholes in the city and provide adequate signage, warning the people of hazards.

The petition is a step that aims to ensure that the officers responsible for maintaining public utilities and services are made accountable for their actions and omissions. This petition also arises in the backdrop of the High Court of Karnataka having previously initiated suo motu actions in case of deaths of children by drowning in flooded and abandoned quarry pits in the State.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Why the Tamil Nadu Urban Employment Scheme saw limited success in Chennai

While the scheme initially helped workers get jobs in Chennai and other urban centres, the implementation has been half-hearted at best.

Launched in 2022, the Tamil Nadu Urban Employment Scheme (TNUES) aims to provide employment opportunities to urban households through local public works at minimum wages. With this initiative, Tamil Nadu joined Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha and Jharkhand, which were implementing similar programmes, essentially extending MGNREGA to urban areas. Economists and urban development scholars have advocated these programmes, especially post the COVID-19 pandemic, as an important social safety net for the livelihood security of urban informal workers. In Tamil Nadu and other states, such schemes highlight the need and demand for social security measures. Implementation through urban local bodies This article delves into the implementation of…

Similar Story

Residents protest high charges for name change in Tambaram property tax records

The revised fees for name change in the property tax documents were not widely publicised by the Tambaram City Municipal Corporation.

In August/September this year, Chennai resident Rajiv attempted to update his name in the property tax records of his flat in Chromepet. The Tambaram City Municipal Corporation (TCMC) rejected his online application and asked him to file the papers offline. He was also told to pay Rs10,000 towards the charges for a name change. Finding this amount excessive, he brought the issue to the attention of the press. A local reporter investigated the matter and contacted the TCMC Commissioner, who allegedly disputed the high fees at first. However, after consulting officials, he later confirmed that such a fee is mandatory, per…