MCD Junior Engineer Suspended After 15-Year-Old Boy Falls into Jasola Drain
A junior engineer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was suspended on Monday for dereliction of duty after a 15-year-old boy fell into an open drain in Jasola village on Saturday morning while attempting to retrieve a kite.
The suspension followed directives from Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who expressed sorrow over the incident and ordered the chief secretary to identify the responsible official and furnish drain maintenance details within an hour.
According to an official order issued by the civic body, Anuj Kumar, JE (M)-IV, was placed under suspension with immediate effect as disciplinary proceedings are contemplated against him. The order stated that the official would receive a subsistence allowance as per rules and is barred from leaving the station without permission during the suspension period.
The Class 8 student slipped and fell into the open drain near a residential area in Jasola village on Saturday. Family members witnessed the incident and raised an alarm, prompting a call to emergency services.
The Delhi Fire Service received an alert at 11:54 am on Saturday and dispatched two fire tenders to the scene. A multi-agency rescue effort was subsequently launched, involving personnel from the Delhi Fire Service, Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force, the Boat Club, and the district administration.
NDRF divers and emergency personnel have been scouring the drain and adjacent stretches, continuing their search downstream toward the Agra canal. Officials noted that search operations are paused overnight and resumed each morning.
The incident also led to administrative confusion over jurisdictional responsibility. The Delhi Jal Board stated that the drain, which carries treated effluent from the Okhla sewage treatment plant, had been handed over to the civic body and was not under its care. A review submitted to the Chief Minister's Office later confirmed that the drain falls under MCD jurisdiction.
Authorities noted that approximately 150 metres of the drain is clogged with accumulated silt, waste, and debris, hindering the movement of heavy rescue machinery.
