Gurugram: A week after a girl fell into a nine feet deep sewer and died due to injuries, the residents of Dhanola village in Sohna held a massive protest against the builder on Sunday. Claiming that the private developer was planning to illegally encroach upon the 20-acre land, the villagers did not let further work of the project go through. The standoff resulted in the senior management of the company coming to the village and having a word with the miffed residents.
Ever since nine-year-old Rita and 11-year-old Sumit fell into the sewer dug up by the company, there has been a strong reaction against the developer. The residents have claimed that this is not the one-off incident. In the past, many people, as well as animals, have fallen into the deep sewer and hurt themselves.
Some of the angry residents have also alleged that along with the quest of building a colony for BPL (below poverty line) residents, there exist a ploy not only to delay the project but also to encroach upon the land belonging to the villagers.
Construction work was being carried out to enhance the drainage system in the BPL colony that is being undertaken by a private developer. The incident had occurred at Dhanola village in Sohna when Rita along with her neighbour, Sumit, were coming back from tuition classes on Saturday evening. As the holes were left unmarked by the company, the two could not spot it and fell into the deep hole which eventually claimed the life of the little girl.
Filled with rainwater, the rescue operation became more difficult. In the end, Rita suffocated to death while Sumit was critically injured. Earlier this year, 52-year old Shambunath Bharti, who worked as a security guard, died after falling into a 10-feet deep drain.