Ghaziabad, July 9 -- A three-year-old girl drowned in rainwater accumulated outside her home in Ghaziabad's Vijay Nagar area on Thursday afternoon, said officials.
The victim, Pallavi , lived with her family in a rented house in Gali No. 16 of Sarvodaya Nagar. Her father, Sumit Kumar is a native of Farrukhabad district who works as a vegetable vendor. The family also includes his wife and their elder daughter.
According to police, the child stepped out of the house around 2 pm while the lane was heavily waterlogged after continuous rainfall. She allegedly slipped into the stagnant water and drowned. Family members and neighbours remained unaware until around 2.30 pm, when locals spotted her body floating. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
The girl's death triggered outrage among residents, who blocked NH-9 and accused the municipal corporation of ignoring repeated complaints about choked sewers and overflowing drains. Protesters demanded that senior civic officials visit the area and ensure corrective measures before the child's last rites were performed.
Police, district administration officials and municipal corporation representatives reached the spot and held talks with the family and protesters.
Officials assured them of all possible assistance, while the administration also offered the victim's father a contractual job.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.