Assam CM orders satellite mapping of open drains following tragic child death in Guwahati

In the wake of a tragic incident in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, September 4 directed the state’s chief secretary to employ satellite imagery to identify open drains across city areas, with particular attention to sites under construction. The move comes amid growing concerns over public safety, exacerbated by reports of manhole covers being stolen at night.

The directive follows a heartbreaking incident on Wednesday afternoon in Kalapahar, where five-year-old Sunit Kumar fell into an exposed drain near Vivekananda School. The boy, playing near the under-construction drain around 3 PM, was discovered three hours later by local police. Despite efforts to save him, doctors at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) pronounced him dead.

This tragic episode has highlighted persistent lapses by civic authorities in ensuring that large, potentially dangerous drains are properly secured in residential neighborhoods. Citizens have also come under criticism for delays in raising the alarm, which may have impeded timely rescue efforts.

On the same day, another accident occurred in Kahilipara, where an elderly man, Fuljeet Sharma, suffered severe leg injuries after falling into a partially constructed roadside drain. Intended to serve as a pedestrian pathway, the area was found to be unsafe and inadequately protected, reflecting ongoing risks associated with poorly managed urban construction sites.

Following the post-mortem at GMCH, Sunit Kumar’s body was returned to his family, and his last rites were performed at Bhootnath crematorium, marking the somber end to the brief life of the young boy.

The Chief Minister has emphasized the need for stricter monitoring of construction sites and preventive measures to ensure that such tragedies do not recur.