Father and daughter, 9, fall into 10-ft open drain on Punawale service road, left unbarricaded

A man and his nine-year-old daughter suffered minor injuries on Sunday after falling into an open drain on the service road near Punawale market. The drain is said to be about 10 feet deep. Both sustained only scratches, but the accident has raised concerns over alleged negligence in covering open drains and over public safety.

The man is Shaji, who works from home for Vensure, a Noida-based company. On Sunday he was going to a function with his wife and two daughters, including his elder daughter Shenika, nine. Heavy rain and a traffic jam near the Punawale tunnel led the family to decide to return home, about a kilometre away.

Shaji said: "The Punawale tunnel was completely jammed because of the rain and traffic. We were going to a function, but the traffic was so heavy that we decided to turn back. Home was only a kilometre away, so we got down and started walking."

According to Shaji, he and his elder daughter were a few steps ahead of his wife and younger daughter when both suddenly fell into the open drain.

Shaji said: "At first I thought my daughter had not fallen, but when I looked back I realised she had fallen into the drain too. I started shouting for help. Some bikers then ran over and pulled us out."

Neither Shaji nor Shenika was seriously hurt. Both got only minor scratches and escaped major harm.

Shaji alleges that the drain was left open without any barricade even after the accident. He said that when the family returned to the spot on Monday at around 11 am, there was no barricade to stop pedestrians from accidentally falling in.

The incident has raised serious questions about pedestrian safety in the area. The risk is greater during the rains, when waterlogging and traffic jams force people onto alternative routes.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) should investigate the incident and immediately secure the open drain with proper barricades and warning boards so that such accidents do not recur.