GUWAHATI, Oct 2 - On the day of completion of one year of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a two-and-a-half-year old girl met a tragic end in 1 No. Nizarapar locality in Bamunimaidam area after she fell into a poorly maintained septic tank early this morning.
The septic tank inside the campus where Ilija Khatun, the deceased girl, lived with her parents was left open when the incident took place. Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were pressed into action along with the police to rescue the child but to no avail.
The near 25-foot deep septic tank, locals alleged, is seldom covered and is kept open even during night. �In fact, many other such open tanks would be found in Guwahati if surveyed properly. Such a situation in a place like Guwahati is unfortunate and speaks volumes about lack of any proper maintenance of hygiene and safety,� a local resident alleged.
Police, meanwhile, said that although the incident took place around 8 in the morning, it took more than two hours to bring out the body of the child.
�They have a tin sheet which they use for many purposes. Sometime, they use it to cover the septic tank and at other times they use it to cover other items outside the house. Today, the septic tank was unfortunately kept open,� police said, adding that the deceased child was playing in the campus when the incident took place.
Her mother, Farida Begum, was busy with some household chores when the incident took place.
