Delhi HC criticized civic agencies concerning death of woman, child in waterlogged drain in Ghazipur

New Delhi [India], August 6 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the functioning of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and its officials concerning a tragic incident in East Delhi's Ghazipur area where a mother and child died after falling into an uncovered drain.
The court suggested that the case might warrant a recommendation to the government to dissolve the MCD due to ongoing issues and inefficiencies in its operations.
Acting Chief Justice Manmohan has stated that there has been criminal negligence by the civic authorities in the case and emphasized that they must be held accountable and booked for their actions.
The Court instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to submit a fresh status report, complete with photographs, within a week. The court has also ordered both the Delhi Police and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to file status reports regarding the matter. This directive aims to provide a comprehensive update on the situation from all relevant authorities involved.
The Deputy Commissioner of Shahdara South Zone, who was present, assured the court that the problematic drain would be cleaned and the waste removed immediately.
The court also made clear that it cannot yet determine whether the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) or the MCD is liable, leaving that decision to the police's investigation.
Earlier today, the Delhi High Court bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, expressed serious concern over the incident where a woman and child died after falling into a waterlogged drain in Ghazipur. The court criticized the civic agencies for their negligence and described the situation as indicative of broader issues with civic management.
The DDA has stated that the body was found near their drain, but the area where the incident occurred falls under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The plea also sought accountability from the contractor responsible for the drain and requested a comprehensive audit of ongoing drain construction projects, including flood mitigation measures.
The petitioner Jhunnu Lal Srivastava also directed the respondents to frame and adopt policies to address and mitigate the mayhem of flood-like situations in Delhi for rainfall and further to cover all open drains in Delhi with immediate effect with proper signage educating the common public to stay away from the drains.
A woman and her child drowned after falling into a waterlogged drain in the Ghazipur area of East Delhi following heavy rainfall in the national capital on July 31. The deceased were identified as Tanuja (22) and her child, Priyansh (3), residents of Prakash Nagar Khoda Colony, Ghaziabad.
The plea alleged that DDA has acted in blatant violation of its own circular No. 135 dated February 26, 1986, wherein it was directed to all Engineers to strictly ensure that there should not be any gap on deep covered drains and no manhole should be left uncovered in order to avoid any mishap or accident.
The lack of a comprehensive flood management policy and the presence of uncovered drains violate the fundamental right to the health and safety of Delhi's residents. The Respondents despite frequent fatalities due to waterlogging and clogged drains have failed to take corrective steps which are leading to further loss of lives, the plea stated.