Student slips into open pit filled with water in Gurgaon, residents come to his rescue

Gurgaon: A schoolboy narrowly escaped injury after falling into a water-filled pit dug for sewer line work in Jacobpura on Monday, raising concerns over safety arrangements at ongoing civic projects. The incident occurred in Saini Mohalla of Jacobpura (ward 27), where MCG has been carrying out sewer line installation work since Feb 18. According to residents and CCTV footage that surfaced online, the boy slipped and fell into the pit. He was pulled out by two residents, including another child."Open pits without proper safety measures are dangerous. Sewer water accumulation makes it difficult to judge the depth and also blocks the road," said Raj Singh, a resident.MCG chief engineer Vijay Dhaka did not respond to repeated calls. However, executive engineer Sandeep Dhundhwal said the site had been barricaded from the start. "When the work began on Feb 18, both sides were blocked using earthmovers and large sewer pipes to prevent movement. Residents are aware that work is underway," he said.Ward 27 councillor Ashish Gupta said the project would take at least one-and-a-half months to complete. "Residents have been urging us to expedite the work, but they also need to cooperate, since the work is being executed for their welfare. Despite barricading, many people continue to use the stretch," he said.Some families said access to their homes has been severely affected due to blocked pathways. They claimed they are using adjoining rooftops to enter and exit their houses. The situation worsens after dark because of the absence of proper lighting, residents added.