Kamrup (M) DC Orders Immediate Halt to Digging Works in the City, Urges Protective Measures

GUWAHATI: Following the hue and cry raised by concerned citizens and organisations after a Class XI girl, namely Priya Kumari, perished in a horrific accident at Ganeshguri, the Kamrup (M) DC Pallav Gopal Jha swung into action and issued an order on Friday banning all such digging work and ordered putting up of barricades and proper signages to alert the public about any ditch/open holes on roads likely to cause problems for the people in the city.

On Thursday, the victim Priya Kumari was riding pillion on a scooter being driven by her sister. The scooter fell into a ditch left open by a Jal Board Contractor and the schoolgirl fell on the road and was run over by a school bus, leading to her death.

With the rainy season approaching, such open manholes/ditches dug for different civic work will become a death- trap to the people and this order will go some way in remedying the situation.  

The order issued by the DC and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, Kamrup Metropolitan District, Guwahati, is produced verbatim below:

“Whereas it has been observed that, several accidents have occurred in recent times causing loss of lives and properties of the public in general due to the unprotected trenches/potholes/open manholes dug by different agencies in different locations, main roads, byelanes etc of Guwahati city. Moreover, these have caused immense hardship and inconvenience to the public in general.”

“Whereas, if such trenches are not protected by barricade or repaired immediately, such incidents may continue to occur in near future. With the ensuing rainy season, chances of such incidents have increased manifold causing threat to the lives and properties of the public in general.”

“Considering the seriousness of the issue, I Sri Pallav Gopal Jha, IAS, Deputy Commissioner & Chairman, District Disaster management Authority, kamrup (M) feel immediate necessity to direct the concerned departments like PWD (R), Guwahati jal Board, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd, Guwahati Smart City Ltd to immediately stop all kinds of digging works. The departments are also directed to make proper barricading, display of visible signage in the already dug(ged) up trenches. Moreover, the concerned departments/agencies are asked to submit the compliance report along with the photographs within 24 hours to the undersigned without fail for continuation/resumption of work.

This direction is issued in greater public interest and as per provisions as laid down in Sec 30.2 sub sec. (iii), (v), (vi), (vii), (ix), (xi), (xx), (xxiii) and Section 41 (C) of the Disaster management Act 2005.”

The order was signed by Sri Pallav Gopal Jha, Deputy Commissioner& Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority, Kamrup Metropolitan District, Guwahati, dated 09/06/2023.

Copies of the order were marked to the concerned heads of the departments/agencies concerned.

It is a welcome move initiated by the Kamrup (M) DC and will help put a leash on the different departments/agencies working in the city with impunity, with no strict monitoring of the work being done by contractors, flouting all norms and putting people’s lives in danger.

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