NAMAKKAL: A four-year-old boy died after he accidentally fell into an open pit dug for underground drainage work near his house at Chinna Mudhalaipatti of Namakkal district on Thursday. The pit was only cordoned off with ropes, and there were no barricades, sources said.
The victim, identified as M Rohith, was playing near his grandfather’s house, located opposite his house, when he went missing. After a frantic search by his family members, Rohith’s body was found inside the water-filled pit in the locality.
Sources said the five-foot-deep pit, dug for a project in ward 4 under the Namakkal City Municipal Corporation, was filled with water due to recent rainfall. There were no workers near the pit as it was New Year’s Eve.
The civic body has handed over a solatium of Rs 20 lakh to the bereaved family.
According to eyewitnesses, the primary cause of the tragedy was lack of adequate safety measures at the work site. Since the workers were not present on the day, the pit remained uncovered, allowing water to accumulate.
The Namakkal Town police have booked the contractor responsible for the drainage work and are conducting an investigation. After a postmortem examination, Rohith’s body was handed over to the family.
Namakkal Municipal Corporation commissioner K Sivakumar said the underground drainage project was awarded to a private contractor on a tender basis, and a project management cell was assigned by the corporation to oversee the work. “We have sought an explanation from the contractor regarding the safety protocols and the sealing of the pit,” he said, and assured that strict action will be taken based on the investigation’s findings.
Meanwhile, AIADMK, in their official X handle, strongly criticised the state government for the tragedy, accusing it of prioritising commissions and tender manipulations over public safety. They pointed out that such fatal accidents are not isolated incidents but reflect a deeper issue of administrative negligence and corruption in project management.