• durgesh dubey
• 02 Aug, 2024

flooding

In the Ghazipur police station area, a somber atmosphere enveloped the home of Tanuja (22) and her son Priyanshu (3) on Thursday after their tragic deaths the previous night. They had fallen into an open drain, leading to widespread grief among neighbors gathered outside their home. Women and young girls expressed anger toward MCD officials, accusing them of neglecting safety despite previous accidents in the same drain. Tanuja’s brother-in-law recounted how she was on her way to buy a school uniform for her only son when the accident occurred.

The incident happened as Tanuja and Priyanshu were walking towards Ghazipur amidst heavy rain, which obscured the drain on the dilapidated road near Ambedkar Nagar Gate. Priyanshu fell in first, followed by Tanuja who tried to save him. Despite efforts by locals to rescue them, both were swept under a ramp by the water flow. Khoda police, along with fire department personnel, cut through the ramp during the downpour to retrieve them, but they were declared dead at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.

Neighbor Bobby shared that Tanuja had given her house keys to Bobby’s daughter before the tragedy, not knowing she wouldn’t return. The community gathered upon hearing the news but left after seeing the police and officials on site. Priyanshu was set to start school on August 1, and all necessary items were ready except for the uniform. Sadly, the fatal waterlogging claimed their lives, along with their dreams.

Relative Karan Bisht provided this heartbreaking account, noting that Tanuja was heading to buy the uniform because Priyanshu had recently been admitted to a nearby school. The bodies of Tanuja and Priyanshu were found a few meters from where they slipped, with Tanuja still holding her son. Karan mentioned that Tanuja was declared dead on the spot, and Priyanshu, who had a slight chance of survival, also succumbed shortly after.

An additional relative shared that Tanuja’s sister-in-law Pinky was with them during the accident and jumped in to help. Locals managed to save Pinky because her hands were above the water, but Tanuja couldn’t be reached as she was holding onto her son.

The deaths of the mother and son have sparked significant outrage in the area. Residents voiced their frustrations to the municipal and police officials who arrived at the scene, criticizing the persistent dangerous conditions during every rainy season and the lack of action to address them.