The Noida Authority has terminated the services of a junior engineer over the death of a 27-year-old software engineer whose car plunged into a water-filled pit at a construction site in Sector 150. Notices have also been issued to other officials in charge of traffic-related works in the area.
According to news agency PTI, the authority said in an official statement on Sunday evening that its director general Lokesh M has ordered strict action in the case and ordered immediate termination of services of Junior Engineer Naveen Kumar of Noida Traffic Cell.
Besides, show-cause notices have been issued to other concerned officials and staff responsible for traffic management in and around Sector 150.
The CEO further sought detailed reports from concerned departments regarding the allotment and construction activities of developer Lotus and directed a review of security measures at the site, the statement said, according to PTI.
The authority also said that neglect of safety standards at construction sites will not be tolerated. She said that all departments have been instructed to re-check the safety measures of the ongoing construction projects in their respective areas to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
what is it about
The action comes amid allegations of negligence and delay in rescue work following the death of software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, whose car fell into a more than 20-feet-deep water-filled pit dug in the basement of an under-construction building in Sector 150 in the wee hours of Saturday.
The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Knowledge Park Police Station on the night of January 16-17. It happened when the car broke through the culvert boundary at the Sector 150 junction and fell into the water.
The deceased was identified as Yuvraj, a resident of Sector-150, Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar.
Police said Mehta, who was working with a Gurugram-based company, was returning home from work when the accident occurred amid thick fog.
Mehta’s body was recovered after a search operation involving teams of fire brigade, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police.
An eyewitness, a delivery boy, claimed that rescue efforts were delayed and suggested that Mehta might have survived if action had been taken more quickly.
According to India Today, the investigation revealed a complete lack of searchlights and warning signs at the scene of the accident.
Residents staged protests citing inadequate barricades and lack of floodlights at the accident-prone site.
The police filed an FIR against two real estate developers on the complaint of the victim’s family, denying negligence in the rescue operation.
Following the protests, the Noida authority installed barricades at the site.
“My son fought for 2 hours”
Mehta’s family alleged gross administrative negligence and argued that early intervention could have saved his life as he struggled for two hours.
The victim’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, told ANI, “My son was trying to save himself. My son was shouting for help, asking people to help him, but most of the crowd was just watching. Some people were making videos. My son fought for 2 hours to save his life.”
“The officials and staff present failed to save him. They had no divers. There was negligence on the part of the administration in this whole matter,” Rajkumar Mehta said, demanding strict measures and improved security measures to prevent similar incidents in future.
However, Joint Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narain Mishra told ANI that rescue work was started immediately with the help of fire ladders, cranes, searchlights and a makeshift boat, adding that visibility was almost zero at that time.
He described the incident as “very tragic” and told ANI that the police stand with the victim’s family.
