Karnataka: Poorly barricaded pit claims life of 73-yr-old in Hubballi

HUBBALLI: WHEN 73-year-old Sharatchandra Gunjal set out for his daily job on Thursday morning, little did he know that a death trap was waiting for him right at the corner of the road. Gunjal, a milk vendor, was on his way to collect milk and distribute it. Around 7 am, Gunjal, along with his two-wheeler, fell into a 6-foot-deep pit dug to fix water leakage near Tadipatri Oni, and died on the spot. The pit, which is open from both sides of the road, was guarded with barricades only on one end of the road. Gunjal was unable to locate the pit and fell into it. Also, the pit was dug up only on Wednesday evening and Gunjal was unaware of it.

Officials of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board said the pit was dug up to plug a leak in the water pipeline a day earlier. The official said that they received complaints from nearby residents that their parking area was getting inundated by potable water.The work was handed over to a private contractor who rectified the problem but had kept the pit open to check for any leakage. The workers were supposed to fill the pit on Thursday, but the incident occurred in the morning, an official said.

“It was the duty of the contractor to erect warning signs, barricade and other precautionary measures to prevent such incidents,” he said. Hubballi East Traffic police have registered a case.
Mayor D K Chawahan visited the accident site and ordered the officials to take stern action against the contractor. “Additional barricades have been placed after the accident. Barricades will be placed at all other construction sites,” he said.