A four-year-old boy who fell into a sewer near Kheri Baba Bridge in Nangli Vihar Extension, Delhi, was found dead at a water treatment plant after a 24-hour rescue operation, according to a report by Jagran. Police said the body was recovered in a severely damaged condition and that DNA profiling would be conducted for identification.
The child fell into a manhole in the Baprola area on Tuesday afternoon. Delhi Police, fire brigade personnel, local divers and teams from the National Disaster Response Force searched the sewer and drain network in an effort to trace him. The operation eventually led rescuers to a water treatment plant in Nilothi, near Nihal Vihar.
According to police, the body was found in several pieces inside the plant. Investigators suspect that large rotating machines used to screen and treat sewage may have caused the damage after the child was carried through the drainage system. The body was sent for post-mortem examination, while DNA profiling was ordered to establish identity.
Police have registered a case against unidentified persons under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to causing death by negligence, the report said. The investigation is examining different aspects of the incident, including how the child entered the manhole and the conditions that allowed the sewer network to carry him towards the treatment facility.
The incident has also highlighted the risks created by open or inadequately secured access points in dense residential areas. A manhole connected to a sewer is part of a wider underground system that can move water and waste over considerable distances, making rescue operations difficult once a person enters the network. In this case, the search involved several agencies and continued for a full day before the child was located.
Family members and local residents gathered during the rescue operation and hoped the child would be found alive. A local resident quoted in the report said people had assembled to support the family during the crisis. The child’s death has now shifted the focus to the safety of the manhole, the maintenance of the sewer line and the responsibilities of the agencies overseeing the network.
The case remains under investigation. The next official steps include the post-mortem examination, DNA profiling and examination of the circumstances surrounding the child’s fall and the condition of the sewer infrastructure at the site.
