Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed deep grief over the death of an eight-year-old boy, Abu Bakar Saha, after falling into an open drain at Masjid Colony of Unit-3 area of Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.
Expressing his deepest condolences to the bereaved family, the Odisha CM also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund for the next of kin of the deceased boy.
Expressing serious concerns over the rising death toll in open drain mishaps, the Odisha CM has directed the departmental officials to cover all open drains in Bhubaneswar immediately. He has also issued strict orders to solve the open drain issue.
Taking to his ’X’, handle, the CM wrote, “I am disturbed over the death of an 8-year-old child who drowned in a canal near Unit-3 Masjid Colony… May the child’s soul rest in peace and my condolences to the family… Our government will work to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
According to reports, the incident took place this afternoon when heavy rains lashed the state capital. The minor boy who was playing near his house fell into an open drain while trying to fetch a balloon being swept away in the flash flood.
After two hours of ordeal, the ODRAF personnel reduced the boy from the canal near Laxmisagar Oscar City and rushed him to the Capital Hospital. But, the doctors declared the child dead.
