NEW DELHI: A junior engineer from the irrigation and flood control department was dismissed on the directions of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta over the death of a girl who fell into an open drain in the Mukundpur area, a statement from the CMO said on Tuesday.
Expressing sorrow over the death of the two-year-old girl, the CM said that the incident was extremely distressing and alarming. She took to the social media platform X and wrote, “The news of the innocent little girl’s demise after falling into an open drain in Mukundpur is extremely heartbreaking. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved family.”
Asvi Kesari had stepped out to play outside her house around 11 am when she suddenly went missing. Family members and neighbours immediately launched a search, combing the area for hours. When no trace of her was found, fears arose that she might have fallen into an uncovered drain running along Mukundpur Ram Janaki Path in Ishu Vihar.
Later in the afternoon, the child was discovered stuck in thick sludge inside the three-foot-wide and four-foot-deep drain that was left open after recent desilting. She was rushed to a nearby government hospital where doctors declared her brought dead. Her family had blamed the civic officials for negligence.
Her father owns a small grocery shop in the area, while her mother is a homemaker. She was their only child.
The CM said the negligence in covering the drain was unacceptable and directed action against the junior engineer. Acting on the CM’s directives, the department dismissed the contractual junior engineer from service with immediate effect, the statement said.
Gupta directed all the departments concerned to identify open drains and other hazardous sites within their respective jurisdictions that pose a threat to life and property. She warned that officials would be held accountable for any form of negligence, and strict action would be taken.
She said that the government’s priority is to ensure the safety of every citizen—particularly children, who are the most vulnerable. Issuing a stern warning to all departments concerned. The CM emphasised that direct accountability would be fixed for any form of negligence, and strict action would be taken against those found at fault.
