A four-year-old boy drowned in a pond at Kadaribeda village under Raighar police limits in Nabarangpur district on Monday.
The child, identified as Champak Gand, son of Vishnu Gand, fell into the pond inside his house premises while playing alone. His father works outside the state with a borewell drilling team, and his mother, Yamuna Gand, had gone to the nearby forest to collect firewood.
When she returned home, she could not find her son and searched the area with help from relatives. After failing to locate him, she suspected the pond and discovered the child’s body floating in the water.
Villagers immediately informed the police. Officers reached the spot, recovered the body, and took it to Raighar Medical Centre for examination. The post-mortem took place today, and the body was handed over to the family.
The incident shocked the local community. Residents expressed grief and urged authorities to ensure safety measures around household ponds. The pond inside the Gand family’s premises lacked protective fencing, which led to the tragedy.
