Killer at home
The city and its adjacent areas report at least 1,000 cases of unnatural deaths, including drowning in sumps, in a year, police commissioner Shankar M Bidari said. This figure, on an average, translates to at least 83 such deaths a month.
Bidari said such cases are filed under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Core (CrPC). The case of three children who had drowned in a sump at their house, on Monday, also falls under this section.
Bidari further said that no case will be registered against the parents of the children, who had drowned at their Hosur Bande house near Bagalur on Monday afternoon. A case has been registered under Section 174 of the CrPC, he added.

Bagalur tragedy

Kanakalakshmi, the children's mother, had forgotten to close the sump after drawing water from it. It was suspected that the youngest child, one-year-old Pavan, slipped and fell into the sump. The two other children, – Krithika (6) and Shalini (7) – drowned while trying to save their brother. 

"If the parents knew that a child is falling into a sump and takes no preventive action, then it amounts to negligence. In most cases, parents are not aware of it and hence they cannot be charged," Bidari said.

Police warning

Shankar Bidari, however, said that registering a case depends on individual cases and circumstantial evidences that prove negligence.

"If it is a public premises like a school or apartment complex, then the authorities concerned can be charged for criminal negligence,'' he said. The depth and width of sumps also contribute to deaths, especially in rural areas.

He cautioned parents to look out for possible dangers their children might get into. "Any negligence on their part, if proven, will amount to offence," he added. 

Who cares?

Despite the fact that sumps are becoming killers in the city, the Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the town planning authority, has taken no initiatives so far in formulating rules, which could avoid such tragedies. 

When the blue print of a construction of a house is submitted to the BBMP, house owners need not mention about the construction and location of sump. The BBMP does not consider a sump as an integral part of the house. However, the permission of town planning authority is a must for sumps in multi-storeyed buildings.

Laws, by-laws

Thirukan Gowdar, joint commissioner of town planning, BBMP, said: "When we examine the blue print of the house, we give importance to factors related to violations, and not to facts related to construction of a sump." 

"According to the by-law, a multi-storyed building can have a sump of maximum 50 feet depth," he said.

Though there are not any specific rules, Gowdar said, builders should look into security aspects also. He further said that constructing sumps in front of the house is dangerous.

Earlier cases

February 13, 2009: Arumugham (4) drowned in a sump after he accidentally fell into it at his KP Agrahara house. He was playing hide-and-seek with his siblings when he slipped and fell into the sump. 

November 21, 2006: Amar (7) drowned in a sump at a KPTCL under construction site in Mahadevapura.

April 7, 2008: Bhavya (5) drowned in a sump in Marathi Beed in Anekal when she accidentally fell into it while playing with her friends. 

What next?

AS Kodandapani , urban consultant, said the BBMP has to consider the location and depth of the sump during the construction of a house. "The lawmakers must examine factors related to the construction of a sump also, while giving building license," he said.

He added that house owners must be cautious while choosing the cover for sumps. "It should be constructed in such a way that children cannot open and close the cover of the sump easily. Iron covering is the best suited," he said.

Sunitha Rao R & Soumya Menon/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication