Negligence by Mission Bhagiratha officials claims life of five-year-old in Jangaon

A five-year-old girl drowned in a water-filled pit dug for Mission Bhagiratha pipeline repairs in Jangaon district. Villagers alleged negligence by officials and staged protests demanding justice and accountability.

Jangaon: Alleged negligence of Mission Bhagiratha officials claimed the life of a five-year-old girl in Jangaon on Thursday triggering protests by villagers.

According to locals, labourers carrying out Mission Bhagiratha pipeline repair works had dug a deep pit four-meter-long at the Upper Primary School and left it open for the past 20 days at Alimpur village of Bachannapet mandal in the district. Leaking water turned the pit into a pool.

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The deceased child, Elikatte Mokshitha (5), the daughter of an Anganwadi helper, Kavitha working at the school, accidentally fell into the pool of water. Her elder sister, Deekshitha, noticed her falling into the pool and immediately alerted their mother.

The mother then climbed down into the pit to retrieve Mokshitha, but by the time she brought the child out, she had already died. The villagers staged a protest with the child’s body complaining that the girl had lost her life due to the negligence of Mission Bhagiratha officials.

The protestors demanded justice for the bereaved family. They wanted the higher-ups to take action against the Mission Bhagiratha officials for failing to complete works speedily and for leaving the pit open without any safety measures.