HYDERABAD: An 8-year-old boy died after he accidentally fell into an open nala at Chinna Thokatta in Anand Nagar, Bowenpally on Saturday.
The boy, Anand Sai, was playing with his friends near the nala, which is under repair.
Bowenpally police said that maintenance works on the nala, which flows in front of the boy’s house, had been taken up by the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) by sanctioning the works to a contractor in view of the ensuing monsoon.
The nala widening and repair works were allegedly taken up with no safety measures such as putting up barricades and signboards to warn others.
“The accident was witnessed by the boy’s friends and a local, near the building.
He and a few others rushed to the spot but they could not do much since they could not swim,” K Ravi Kumar, Bowenpally inspector, said.
The mishap took place at around 9.45 am and the police arrived at the scene at around 10.30 am with a few swimmers, however, the boy could not be traced.
Later, officials from the fire department and the GHMC roped in Hussainsagar Shiva, an expert at recovering bodies from Hussainsagar, and retrieved the body.
Police said that a case was registered against nala contractor Ramu under Section 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.
“Since the contractor did not take any precautionary measures, he was booked under 304 II.
Any SCB official later found to be irresponsible will also be booked,” the inspector said.
Expert Shiva traces body in minutes:Officials of the Disaster Response Force of the GHMC and fire department authorities could not locate the body in the search operation that lasted for three hours.
It was Hussainsagar Shiva who could trace the body within minutes.
“The body was recovered from the nala which is 20 feet deep.
The body was stuck between rods that were put up for the repair works.
I reached the spot within 30 minutes after receiving a call from Bowenpally inspector K Ravi Kumar,” said Shiva.