A heart-wrenching incident in Guwahati has prompted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to order immediate action to prevent such tragedies in the future. The Chief Minister on Thursday directed the state’s Chief Secretary to use satellite mapping to identify all open drains in the city, especially those lying exposed at under-construction sites. The decision follows the death of a five-year-old boy in Kalapahar, which has triggered widespread outrage and raised serious questions about civic safety in the capital city.
The victim, identified as Sunit Kumar, was playing near an under-construction drain close to Vivekananda School on Wednesday afternoon when he suddenly slipped and fell inside. The incident occurred around 3 PM, but his body was only discovered three hours later by police personnel. Despite being rushed to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), doctors declared the child dead on arrival. The tragedy was further compounded by another accident the same day in Kahilipara, where 68-year-old Fuljeet Sharma fell into a partially constructed roadside drain and sustained severe leg injuries. The area was intended to be developed as a pedestrian path but was left without proper barricades or warning signs.
Following the post-mortem at GMCH, Sunit’s body was handed over to his grieving family, who performed his last rites at Bhootnath crematorium on Wednesday evening. Neighbours and relatives gathered in large numbers, mourning the loss of the young boy whose life was cut short due to official negligence. The Chief Minister, taking strong note of the incident, has asked for strict monitoring of all ongoing construction projects. He also highlighted disturbing reports of manhole covers being stolen at night, leaving drains exposed and turning them into death traps. “We cannot allow such negligence to claim more lives. The safety of every citizen, especially children, is the top priority,” Sarma said while instructing officials to ensure that every open drain is properly covered and guarded.