India, June 22 -- The Delhi High Court has awarded Rs 30 lakh compensation to the family of a 37-year-old man who died after falling into a pit dug up by the Delhi Jal Board, and asked authorities to formulate a policy to ensure immediate financial assistance to the affected in such cases.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav observed that the loss of the sole breadwinner leaves a family extremely vulnerable, making even day-to-day survival uncertain, and such families should not be compelled to undertake a prolonged and expensive litigation to secure basic financial relief for incidents attributable to the negligence of public authorities.

Justice Kaurav said in the present case, the deceased's widow, mother and three minor children had b...