NEW DELHI: Residents living in Greater Noida high-rises near where the tragic death of Yuvraj Mehta took place on January 16 have highlighted what they claim as a missed opportunity to save the life of the young techie.
They say that several nearby residential societies had readily available safety and disaster-response equipment that could have been used to speed up rescue operations, but no government agency approached them.
Mehta’s death by drowning has triggered serious concerns about emergency preparedness and rescue coordination in one of the developed urban regions surrounded by high-rises.
Sector 150 of Greater Noida, where the incident occurred, is surrounded by high-end residential complexes, most of which have swimming pools. Government norms mandate that all pools in residential areas keep safety equipment ready in case any drowning incidents occur.
Residents argue that better coordination between authorities and local communities could have led to a successful rescue. A resident of a high-rise said that most societies keep ropes, life jackets, and flotation devices.
“In almost every society around Sector 150, there are swimming pools, which means basic rescue equipment is available on-site. If the rescue teams had reached out to them, these resources could have been mobilised immediately,” another resident said.
Another resident of a nearby high-rise said that many societies also store additional emergency tools that could have helped responders. The incident has also drawn attention to safety lapses at construction sites, particularly during winters.
Despite repeated attempts, there was no response frfom cops till filing of this report.
2 more arrested
Two more shareholders of the water-filled plot in Noida, where a 27-year-old techie died after his car plunged into it, were arrested on Thursday, police said.