A young man was tragically found dead, trapped beneath his motorcycle inside a dangerously clogged and overgrown open drain in Silchar, Assam, exposing glaring lapses in public safety and civic maintenance.
Timeline of a Tragic Oversight
The incident unfolded in the E&D Colony area of Silchar. According to local accounts, the motorcycle was first spotted late on December 31, New Year's Eve, inside the drain following a reported road accident. Traffic officials and police personnel reached the spot that night itself but failed to locate the rider at the time.
It was only on Thursday morning that the grim discovery was made. The motorcycle was finally pulled out, revealing the body of Arjun Das, popularly known as Shuna (26), a cable operator and resident of Tarapur, trapped underneath.
Locals Question Delay and Visibility Issues
The delay in recovery and the condition of the drain have sparked anger and serious questions among residents. A local resident pointed out the critical lapse, stating, "Police had come last night and said the bike would be recovered, but it wasn't done then. If it had been recovered earlier, maybe he could have been found sooner."
Visuals from the accident site painted a horrifying picture of civic neglect. The open drain was almost completely concealed by wild foliage, accumulated plastic waste, and other garbage. Compounding the danger was the reported poor lighting in the area, making the hazardous spot nearly invisible, especially at night.
A Call for Accountability and Action
This tragic death of a young professional has triggered a fierce debate on urban infrastructure and emergency response in Silchar. The incident underscores a deadly combination of factors:
- Poorly maintained and uncovered drains choked with waste and overgrowth.
- Inadequate street lighting creating visibility hazards.
- Potential delays in search and recovery operations following accidents.
The death of Arjun Das is not just a statistic of a road accident but a stark reminder of how civic negligence can turn public infrastructure into death traps. It raises urgent questions about municipal accountability and the need for regular safety audits of such hazardous spots across the city to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
