Boy, 14, falls into water tank under construction at Taljai Colony in Pune, hospitalised

A construction site linked to Pune's water supply improvement project has come under scrutiny after a 14-year-old boy fell and was seriously injured there in Taljai Colony. The boy is Nikhil Nitin Sathe. He is being treated at Bharati Hospital for multiple fractures and other injuries.

The incident took place on October 13 at about 6.30 pm. The spot is near a biogas plant, where a water tank is being built under the Pune Municipal Corporation's equitable water supply project.

Nikhil studies in Class 8. That day he returned home from school and then went out to play with his friend Om Sachin Kasbe. The family learnt of the accident when Om ran to their house and said Nikhil had fallen into the tank.

On hearing this, Nikhil's mother, Manju Sathe, reached the spot with her mother-in-law and her brother-in-law. There they found Nikhil lying inside the structure. Local resident Uddhav Lahu Kamble then called out for help and fire brigade personnel arrived. They brought Nikhil out.

Nikhil has fractures in both legs below the knee. He also has injuries to his waist, stomach and arm. He was taken to Bharati Hospital for treatment.

Police have registered a case against L&T project manager Manohar Mehta and the contractor responsible for the work. The case concerns alleged negligence in failing to secure the construction site.

In her complaint, Nikhil's mother has said there were no safety arrangements at the site to warn people of the danger. There was no safety netting and no warning boards. She alleges that, because these were missing, anyone could easily reach the tank, and this led to the accident.

The safety arrangements at the facility under construction will now be examined. Police will look into the allegations against those responsible for the project. They will also examine what steps had been taken to protect people around the work site.