Assam CM orders satellite mapping of open drains after child’s death

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday, directed the state’s chief secretary to use satellite imagery to locate open drains across urban areas, especially at under-construction sites.

His directive follows growing public concern over safety risks, worsened by reports of manhole cover thefts during the night.

A tragic incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Kalapahar, where a three-year-old boy fell into an exposed drain near Vivekananda School.

The boy had been playing near the under-construction site around 3 pm. Local police found him three hours later, but despite efforts to revive him, doctors at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) declared him dead.

This heartbreaking event has exposed serious lapses by civic authorities in securing large, hazardous drains, especially in residential areas.

Citizens also faced criticism for delaying their response, which may have hindered timely rescue operations.

On the same day, another accident took place in Kahilipara. An elderly man, Fuljeet Sharma, suffered serious leg injuries after falling into a partially constructed roadside drain.

Authorities had intended the area to serve as a pedestrian walkway, but inadequate safety measures left it dangerously exposed, highlighting ongoing risks from poorly managed urban construction zones.

After the post-mortem at GMCH, authorities returned Sunit Kumar’s body to his family. They performed his last rites at Bhootnath crematorium, bringing a somber close to the young child’s short life.

Chief Minister Sarma stressed the need for stricter oversight of construction sites and urged authorities to implement preventive measures to avoid future tragedies.