PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Following the death of two children in a drain in Clement Town, the State commission for protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) conducted a site inspection on Friday led by chairwoman Geeta Khanna and directed the administration to immediately carry out safety audits. She also ordered that barricading and warning indicators be installed around the drain so that no child or other person becomes a victim of such an accident in the future.
Khanna informed that after taking cognisance of the incident, she reached the spot, inspected the entire area, and gathered information about the incident from local residents and volunteers. She then met the grieving family, expressed condolences and assured them of all possible support from the commission. During the inspection, the commission’s team found that the victim’s family was living in a shanty made of plastic and wood under extremely poor and unsafe conditions. The hut lacked adequate sunlight and ventilation. The family had five children, two of whom tragically died after being swept away in the drain. She added that local residents and volunteers told the team that during the rainy season, water from a large area of the nearby Tibetan settlement flows rapidly toward the drain near the site. According to locals, a wall that was earlier built to separate and block the flow of water between the Tibetan settlement and this area had collapsed due to strong water flow, she said.
Khanna asked the administration to ensure an immediate safety inspection and technical survey of the incident site and the surrounding drain. She stressed that drainage and security systems must be improved to prevent rapid flow of water during the rainy season. She further said that the social and economic condition of the affected family be assessed immediately and that they be linked to housing, food security, health, education and other eligible government schemes. She also said the safety, education and mental health of the remaining children in the family must be ensured and counselling should be provided if required. Additionally, she asked the administration to conduct a survey regarding the safety of other children and families living in the area so that such incidents do not recur in the future.
