Delhi Manhole Tragedy Claims Life of Bihar Migrant, Leaves Family in Despair
In a heartbreaking incident that underscores the perilous conditions faced by urban migrants, Birju Kumar Rai, a 32-year-old man from Bihar, lost his life after falling into an open manhole in Delhi's Rohini area. The tragedy has left his family, who depended entirely on his income, shattered and grappling with an uncertain future.
A Fatal Fall on a Neglected Road
According to police reports, the incident occurred on Monday evening when Birju, who had been drinking with a fellow worker, Budhan Das alias Suraj, was returning to his makeshift jhuggi near an under-construction building in Begumpur. Approximately 200 meters from his residence, he lost his balance and tumbled into an uncovered manhole on a vacant plot owned by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
Budhan Das, intoxicated at the time, failed to report the accident immediately. He only informed another coworker, Amir Hussain, on Tuesday afternoon, leading to a missing person report filed with the Begumpur police station at 2:36 PM. Police, along with teams from the Delhi Fire Service and DDA, rushed to the scene, but it took over three hours to retrieve Birju's body from the sewer. He was declared dead at a hospital.
A Sole Breadwinner's Tragic End
Birju's cousin, Jai Kishore Rai, recounted that Birju had moved to Delhi as a teenager, around 15-16 years old, to seek employment. While Jai worked as a painter in Najafgarh, Birju labored on a plot in Begumpur, though the two rarely met due to their demanding schedules. "Birju came to Delhi to work when he was 15-16. I work as a painter in Najafgarh, and he used to work on a plot in Begumpur. But we did not get to meet a lot," Jai said.
The loss is devastating for Birju's family in Bihar's Samastipur district. He was the sole provider for his wife, three young children—boys aged 6 and 4, and a 2-year-old girl—and his 75-year-old mother. "I got a call last night. They told me that he was stuck in the pothole since Monday," Jai added, highlighting the delayed communication that compounded the family's grief.
Local Negligence and Safety Concerns
Residents of the area have long voiced concerns about the dangerous state of the road where the accident occurred. Braham Dutt Sharma, a member of the Resident Welfare Association of Ward 27 in Begampur, described the two-lane road as poorly lit and hazardous. "The manholes are open, only one lamp post works… The chowk ahead is known as 'chakku chowk', as many instances of stabbing and snatching have been reported here," he said.
Sharma also noted that multiple instances of animals falling into manholes have been reported, pointing to systemic neglect. Following the tragedy, the manhole was covered late Tuesday, along with others on the same road, but this action came too late for Birju.
Legal Action and Institutional Apathy
In response to the incident, police have added sections 285 (danger in public way) and 106 (death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unknown persons in the First Information Report (FIR). However, the DDA has not responded to queries regarding the uncovered manhole, raising questions about accountability and public safety measures.
This tragedy highlights the urgent need for better infrastructure maintenance and protection for migrant workers, who often toil in hazardous conditions with little oversight. As Birju's family mourns, his death serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of negligence in urban development.
