Delhi HC Orders Walls and Slabs on Abu Fazal Drain After Boy's Death
The Delhi High Court has ordered the immediate construction of separator walls and the placement of covering slabs along stretches of the Abu Fazal drain in Okhla, Shaheen Bagh, and Abul Fazal Enclave. The directions follow the death of a 15-year-old boy who fell into an open drain in Jasola while chasing a kite.
A special bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet P S Arora issued the orders on Monday while examining waterlogging issues in the Okhla area. The bench expressed extreme concern after reviewing photographs of the open drain, which is one of the largest in Delhi, operating without adequate safeguards.
The court observed that the open drain without any covering or separator wall posed a severe safety hazard to residents and commuters in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The High Court had previously directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to construct a protective separator wall between the drain and the road carrying vehicular traffic, alongside installing reflectors and lights to ensure visibility for pedestrians and drivers.
During the proceedings, standing counsel Tushar Sannu informed the bench that while lights and reflectors had been put in place, the separator wall could not be constructed because the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department had not yet issued a required No Objection Certificate.
