Kin protest at NIT office with 8-year-old’s body

Nagpur: The Nagpur Improvement Trust officials had a tough time on Wednesday giving explanations to protesters and family members of 8-year-old Gurfan Ali, who died after falling into a septic tank in an open ground at Manavseva Nagar, Gittikhadan, on Tuesday afternoon. While senior engineer Sunil Lanjewar claimed that the issue has been discussed between Nagpur Municipal Corporation and NIT, he assured to take appropriate and immediate action against people responsible for the open tank that claimed the child’s life. Gurfan was cycling in an open area near his residence at Manavseva Nagar when he fell into an open septic tank. Nearby residents immediately brought Gurfan out of the tank and rushed him to a nearby private hospital. The boy was referred to Mayo Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Residents claimed that from past more than three years, the tank does not have any covering or lid. Gurfan died due to the

garbage

and drain water in the tank. After the post mortem, the child’s relatives and some political activists of NCP took the child’s body to the NIT office, demanding immediate action against those responsible for the death. Manavseva Nagar residents said that a minor boy died after he fell into the same tank in 2012 and a year later a labourer lost his life in the same open tank. Some animals too have died in the tank. “Despite so many deaths, neither NMC nor NIT has taken any action. It is learnt that NIT has planned a garden in the open area and cleaned the place some years ago. NIT had excavated the tank but later left it open,” claimed a protester, who refused to be named. An hour after the protest began, Lanjewar assured the protesters that the issue will be immediately solved and the responsible person will be punished. The body was then taken for last rites and a case of accidental death was registered at Gittikhadan police station.