A tragic incident has rocked Nagpur’s Lakkadganj locality after a 7-year-old boy, Mahesh Komal Thapa, drowned in a water tank constructed by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Ground. The tank, left uncovered and unsupervised, has now turned into a death trap, triggering intense public outrage.
The child, a resident of Barbatte Garden, had gone to the tank with a friend to bathe. While Mahesh drowned silently, the second boy stood helpless at the edge. By the time locals responded, it was too late. The child’s devastated father carried his son’s body from the site, followed by the mother in tears—a heartbreaking moment witnessed by dozens.
Shockingly, this tank was built after felling eight mature trees in May 2024, despite strong protests by local citizens and environmentalists. One rare bird even died during the tree-cutting; another survived only after emergency rescue. The NMC’s decision, made under the guise of “utility development,” was criticized even then as ecologically and socially reckless.
Now, that recklessness has claimed a human life. Angry residents are demanding accountability from NMC, calling this a result of criminal negligence. Activists say no safety measures were put in place, no barriers installed, and no warning signs displayed.
“This is murder by negligence,” said a furious local activist. Legal action is being planned against the civic body, and demands are growing for the immediate dismantling of the tank and a judicial probe into the approvals and oversight.
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