Locals allege negligence, say higher education dept failed to cover pit located in college compound since past one year
Kupwara, Oct 19 : In a very unfortunate incident, a five-year-old boy lost his life after drowning in a pit of model women degree college Sulkoot in northern district of Kupwara as the pit has been left uncovered for a year now.
According to the news agency- five-year-old boy identified as Musa son of a retired army man Abdul Qayoom drowned in a pit of model women’s degree college Sulkoot this evening resulting in his on-spot death.
Locals informed that the deceased along with other children were playing there when he went missing and his whereabouts were not known.
Soon after going missing from the spot, they said that locals and the family members gathered at the college and learned that the boy has drowned in the pit that has been dug some years ago and was left allegedly “uncovered and unattended.”
“A massive search was launched jointly by locals, Army, and the police, and took out the water of the deep pit and recovered the body of the deceased,” locals said.
Locals living in the proximity blamed the higher education department, JKPCC the executing agency, and the district administration for not covering the pit for years now. “Not only a single rather a couple of pits have been dug there since the beginning of construction and no work has been undertaken for long now but still this threat to human life pits have been left uncovered and unattended by the authorities”, locals said.
The locals and relatives of the slain have demanded action against the concerned department for failing to cover the pits which have caused a human life today saying that the village has a handsome population is children and a similar incident can happen in times to come.
They also demanded early fencing of the college saying that it will prevent the entrance of children into the premises so that precious lives are saved—(KNO)
