Three Delhi Jal Board engineers have been suspended following the death of a motorcyclist on Friday after he allegedly fell into a construction pit dug by the water authority, PTI reported citing officials.
After the incident in West Delhi’s Janakpuri area, Water Resources Minister Parvesh Verma has ordered a thorough safety audit of all ongoing sewerage, road and flood control projects in Delhi.
After the incident, Verma inspected the construction site associated with the sewage pipeline rehabilitation project and ordered the suspension of Delhi Jal Board officers.
“We are suspending three officers; an executive engineer, an assistant engineer and an assistant engineer. Their duty was to monitor the progress of the work going on here,” the report quoted Verma as saying.
What do the initial observations reflect?
Although some sections of the road have been barricaded, initial observations indicate that security arrangements around the excavation site were not fully up to the prescribed standards and two-wheelers continued to ply nearby, posing serious security concerns, he added.
“The tragedy has caused deep pain to the affected family and the government stands firmly with them at this difficult time. Public safety is paramount. Any failure to comply with set safety standards will be dealt with strictly, both administratively and contractually,” Verma was quoted as saying.
The minister said that the contractors involved in the works are under investigation. If any violations are found, strict action will be taken including blacklisting them from future projects.
Additionally, Verma announced ex gratia compensation to be given to the victim’s family.
“A preliminary inspection of the site revealed that an excavation pit of approximately six meters in length, four meters in width and around 4.25 meters in depth had been created as part of the ongoing sewerage project,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Jal Board officials said detailed security instructions were issued on January 24 following a similar incident in Noida. They instructed all officials and agencies to implement strict barricades, signage and public safety measures at all work sites, the report said.
The board has also created a high-level investigative committee to identify responsibility, investigate procedural deficiencies and suggest corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Work has been going on at the site for the past three months, but officials said the pit was dug only on Thursday, the report said.
