Woman falls into overflowing nullah in Nabha of Patiala due to municipal negligence
The incident, captured on CCTV, has gone viral on social media, raising serious questions over the alleged negligence of the Municipal Council
Nabha
in Patiala district.
The victim, identified as Madhu, was walking with her daughter-in-law when she accidentally stepped into the uncovered portion of the nullah on Wednesday late evening. The nullah was overflowing following heavy rainfall, and the adjacent road was under construction with several nullah covers missing, making it difficult for pedestrians to navigate the path safely.
Eyewitnesses said that it was the screams of her daughter-in-law that alerted nearby residents, who rushed to the spot and pulled Madhu out of the nullah.
She was initially taken to a hospital in Nabha, but due to the absence of X-ray and CT scan facilities, she was later shifted to a private hospital in Patiala for further treatment.
The officials of Nabha council claimed that a slab of the nullah was left open due to its cleaning process, but the residents claimed that various portions of the nullah were left uncovered for many years and all requests to the officials fell on deaf ears.
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Madhu's brother-in-law, Dev Raj, said she suffered internal shock and ingested contaminated water during the fall. 'It could have been a bigger tragedy. Just moments before the incident, she handed over her one-and-a-half-year-old grandchild, whom she was carrying, to her daughter-in-law,' he added.
He said local residents have long been demanding that the municipal authorities cover the open nullah and build a small boundary wall along its edge.
However, they allege that repeated appeals to the municipal councillor and officials have been ignored. Even after this incident, they claim they were told that only the road construction is sanctioned, and no tender has been issued for covering the nullah.
Executive Officer of the Nabha Nagar Council,
Gurcharan Singh
, said, "A slab of the nullah was left open due to its cleaning, but recent rains halted the cleaning process." When asked if any instruction boards were installed at the spot to make residents aware and avoid any incident, he said, "I would check with the contractor about it."
The incident has highlighted the risks posed by unchecked civic apathy and has reignited the debate over the accountability of local urban bodies in ensuring basic public safety.
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