26-yr-old drowns in waterlogged Gurgaon

GURGAON: The worst fears of residents at waterlogged localities in Gurgaon came true when a 26-year-old car mechanic, while wading through a road that was under three feet of water, fell into a drain and drowned at B-block, DLF Phase-I on Saturday evening. This happened barely hours after a school kid had fallen into the same drain but was rescued in the nick of time, police said.
Residents said, due to severe waterlogging, it was impossible for anyone to know where the road ended and the six-feet-deep drain began. A fence on both sides of the two-feet-wide open drain would have prevented the tragedy, they added.
In the first incident, a child apparently returning from school fell into the drain. He was lucky to survive as a security guard heard him call for help and rescued him. His school bag was recovered from the drain on Sunday. “In the other incident, Manish Sharma, a mechanic who lived in Maruti Vihar, died after falling into the drain on Saturday evening,” said Harinder Kumar, SHO, Phase-I police station.

Kumar said Manish had been called by a resident for replacing a car battery. `He was riding a scooter. As there was heavy waterlogging on the road, he left his scooter behind and tried to cross the road on foot, carrying the battery. As there was three-feet deep water on the road, he could not see the drain and fell into it. Due to waterlogging, the drain had become nine-feet-deep. He was not a swimmer and drowned,” he said.

A case has been lodged against DLF’s maintenance agency under Section 304A (death due to negligence) and cops were trying to fix responsibility on the officials responsible for the dangerous situation.

The incidents have left residents both shocked and seething with anger even as they try to cope with flooded basements and roads deluged under rainwater. They said no agency – district administration, HUDA or Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon – had come forward to help the residents. “No official has turned up in the area even as the entire locality has become an island in the last three-four days. A criminal case should be lodged against not only DLF but all government officials concerned,” fumed R S Rathee, president, Gurgaon Citizens Council and a resident of DLF Phase-I.

Owners of several houses in DLF City and Sushant Lok, meanwhile, spent their weekend trying to get the water out from the basements and lawns. They have had to install pumps on their own to clear out the water.

Authorities, on the other hand, claimed that the administration has been on its toes ever since the rains created havoc in the city. “We are doing our best to help the residents with the available resources. All fixed and mobile pumps available with us are serving the people. However, as the rains have been really heavy in last few days, the situation has been slightly difficult to manage,” said Rajendra Kataria, deputy commissioner.

DLF, too clarified, that it was wrongly being held responsible for the tragic incident. “The incident is really unfortunate but we should not be held responsible for it. Maintaining the drains is not our duty alone and with the kind of rains we have witnessed in last few days, people need to be careful,” said a DLF official.

Experts and environmentalists, meanwhile, said that the mess created due to the heavy showers was a result of the city having lost all its natural catchment areas and drains. “The situation is a wake-up call for all stakeholders in the city and if we do not read the signs now, worse will follow. With the kind of topography Gurgaon has, natural drains are required to carry away excess water. But these drains have been destroyed in a bid to build a concrete jungle. The authorities and builders should care for nature or else nature will keep troubling them,” said Vivek Kamboj, an environmental activist.

Read more: 26-yr-old drowns in waterlogged Gurgaon – Delhi – City – The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/26-yr-old-drowns-in-waterlogged-Gurgaon/articleshow/6399816.cms#ixzz0xP4f1s2O