MOHALI: A five-month-old boy drowned in an open drain adjoining a house in Daun village in
Mohali district on Tuesday morning.
The incident took place around 7am when the child, Rohit, suddenly fell into the drain from his walker. Family members pulled him out and took him to civil hospital, Phase VI, where doctors declared him dead.
The boy’s father, Vishnu (28), who hails from Uttar Pradesh, has been living here on a rented accommodation for the last five year. He sells plastic utensils and toys. Vishnu said he was taking a bath to go for work and his wife was cooking in the kitchen. Rohit was playing with his maternal uncle. His uncle went into a room for two minutes. When he returned, he found Rohit’s walker outside the gate and the child missing. He informed other members of the family. They found Rohit in the open drain.
Vishnu said, “If the drain was covered, his son would have been alive.” Rohit was the youngest among three brothers.
Satnam Singh, a social activist and resident of the village, said the village was adopted by MP Prem Singh Chandumajra under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. “However, nothing has been done for the development of the village. The conditions of roads is poor and drains are uncovered. There is no infrastructure,” he alleged.
Despite repeated calls, Kharar sub-divisional magistrate Vinod Kumar did not respond.