A three-year-old boy drowned after falling into a water-filled pit in Greater Noida’s Dalelgarh village on Saturday, an incident that comes weeks after residents formally warned authorities about safety hazards posed by water accumulation along the village road, officials and locals said on Monday.
The victim, a resident of Sikandrabad in Uttar Pradesh, was visiting his grandfather’s house when the accident occurred around 11am, police said.
No case has been registered in connection with the incident, said local police officials.
According to Munendra Singh, station house officer of Dankaur police station, the boy’s family had gathered at a local temple for a religious feast marking the completion of his grandfather’s 45-day meditation. “We suspect that the boy went near the water-filled pit while he was playing, and likely slipped into it,” Singh said.
Family members launched a search after noticing him missing and found him inside the pit. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but declared brought dead.
The boy is survived by his parents and an elder sister.
The pit, located on private land adjacent to the village road, is unfenced and accessible via a slope or staircase leading to the water. Locals said a dense infestation of water hyacinth covers the surface, potentially making the hazard appear to a child as solid ground.
A letter addressed to Greater Noida Authority CEO Ravi Kumar NG on February 4, signed by Krishna Kant, president of the Dalelgarh Vikas Samiti, warned of the danger. “The waterlogged area poses a risk of accidents due to the unknown depth of the accumulated water, along with the absence of proper barricading and warning signage,” the letter stated.
It specifically cited the recent death of a 27-year-old software engineer in Noida’s Sector 150 after his car plunged into a water-filled pit, warning that without action, “a similar or even more serious accident may occur in the future.”
AK Singh, general manager of the Greater Noida Authority, who also handles civic affairs, confirmed the land, identified as Khasra number 373, is privately owned by three individuals. He said the Authority has not yet undertaken development activities in the area. “If prior information had been given that a programme or event was going to take place, we would have arranged proper protection,” he said, adding that no such notice was provided.
“We are currently working on that application (letter), and we are also inspecting and carrying out work at other locations as required,” added Singh.
The body was handed over to the family following legal procedures, and further investigation is underway.
Following the incident, the sub-divisional magistrate also visited the spot and submitted a report to Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam. In a letter to the CEO, Greater Noida, Roopam stated, “The SDM (Sadar), through his report, informed that the concerned village falls under the Greater Noida authority (GNIDA). In connection with the incident, it was found that it occurred in a waterlogged area near the religious site on the Dalelgarh–Bilaspur road link route. Due to religious significance of the place, local residents organise religious events such as community feasts and other gatherings there.”
“From the perspective of public safety and to prevent accidents in the waterlogged area, it is necessary to install fencing between the waterlogged zone and the religious site. This demand has also been raised by the local residents,” the letter reads.
The DM further requested the CEO to direct the concerned officials to take necessary action in accordance with public safety requirements and the demands of the local residents.
Greater Noida, additional deputy commissioner of police, Sudhir Kumar told HT, “No complaint has been filed by the boy’s family members. Even they refused for post-mortem examination. After legal procedure, they took the body to their hometown for last rites.”