Representative image of a dead body.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A 14-year-old boy died after falling into a valve chamber left open by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) near Kaggalipura on Kanakapura Road.
The boy, identified as Preetham R, is said to have gone missing on January 28.
“He left home around 9.30 am and we assumed that he had gone out to play. When he did not return even in the evening, we searched for him everywhere and then filed a police complaint. We assumed he was angry with us and would return soon,” the boy’s father Rajinikanth told DH, alleging that none of the police officers responded to their request to search for the boy.
The boy’s body was found floating in the chamber, which was about 5 to 10 feet deep, on Sunday, he said.
According to the police, Preetham was walking along the pipeline road stretch when he is suspected to have accidentally slipped into the uncovered concrete chamber at the site where water board was carrying out some works.
The chamber had reportedly been left open without safety barricades or warning signs.
Family members have alleged gross negligence on the part of the BWSSB, blaming the lack of basic safety measures at the work site for the accident.
They have demanded strict action against officials.
The Kaggalipura police have registered a case of negligence against an engineer and other BWSSB staff and are investigating.
Senior BWSSB officials said they were unsure how the cap of the chamber was removed.
Officials said BWSSB had not taken up any work at the site in the recent past.
“We had closed the
chamber with a concrete cap after some work about one year ago. However, there were no complaints that it was missing.
Keeping a check on all the chambers is practically difficult,” a senior BWSSB official told DH.
However, BWSSB has set up a high level inquiry committee under the Chief Engineer to investigate. “We are deeply saddened by the death.
We have set up a committee to study the matter. The committee will visit the spot and based on its report, strict action will be taken against whoever is at fault,” BWSSB chairman Dr Ramprasat Manohar V, told DH.