Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of the death of a 27-year-old software engineer who drowned after his SUV fell into a waterlogged trench at a commercial site in Greater Noida. The tribunal observed that the incident indicates serious environmental violations and regulatory lapses.The tribunal also highlighted that the land where the accident occurred had originally been allotted for a private mall project but, over the years, had turned into a pond due to unchecked accumulation of rainwater and discharge of wastewater from nearby housing societies, news agency ANI reported.Taking note of a media report on the incident, the NGT said that the transformation of the commercial plot into a waterbody raised questions over land-use violations, environmental degradation and the failure of authorities to prevent hazardous conditions at the site.The case relates to the death of Yuvraj Mehta, a software engineer and resident of Sector 150, Greater Noida, whose car plunged into a nearly 30-foot-deep, water-filled pit near ATS Le Grandiose in the early hours of January 17 amid dense fog and poor visibility.According to the post-mortem report, Mehta died due to asphyxiation and cardiac failure. Trapped in the icy water, he struggled to survive for nearly 90 minutes. He managed to climb onto the roof of his sinking vehicle, flashed his mobile phone’s torch repeatedly and called his father in a desperate attempt to seek help.Rescue operations involving the police, fire brigade, SDRF and NDRF were launched but were severely hampered by near-zero visibility, deep water and inadequate equipment. A delivery worker who reached the spot jumped into the trench in an attempt to save Mehta but was unable to locate him. His body was recovered around 4.30 am.An FIR has been registered against the builders responsible for the open pit, citing serious negligence, including the absence of barricading, fencing and reflectors at the accident-prone turn. Show-cause notices have also been issued to officials responsible for traffic management in the area.In a significant development, the director of Wiztown Planners, Abhay Kumar, was arrested on Tuesday. Police said the commercial plot where the trench existed was in the possession of the company. Kumar has been booked under sections related to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing death by negligence, and acts endangering human life.Following public outrage and protests by residents, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident. The Noida Authority’s CEO was removed, and inspections of construction-site safety measures were ordered.The SIT has begun recording statements of officials, developers and eyewitnesses and is examining the role of civic agencies, road safety arrangements and compliance with construction and environmental norms.Residents have alleged that repeated warnings about the dangerous condition of the site were ignored. Barricades were installed only after protests and a candle march demanding justice for Mehta.
