NHRC Seeks Response from Delhi, UP Governments on Child Drownings in Public Areas

Rapid Summary

• NHRC Action: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh and Delhi governments regarding two incidents of child deaths due to drowning in public places.
• Delhi Incident: On July 7, a 4-year-old boy died after falling into an open drain in Mahendra Park, North-West district, Delhi. NHRC noted similar incidents have occurred recently in Delhi.
• Greater Noida Incident: A 6-year-old boy drowned in a waterlogged fountain inside a park in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Residents had previously reported the issue to the Greater Noida Development authority (GNDA), but no action was taken by authorities prior to the incident.
• Official Notices: NHRC has requested detailed reports within two weeks from officials including Chief Secretaries, Police Commissioners, Municipal Corporation heads for Delhi; and from GNDA Chairman and Gautam Budh Nagar Police Commissioner for Greater Noida.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The NHRC’s involvement underscores concerns over inadequate risk mitigation at public infrastructure sites like parks or drainage systems where safety lapses can result in tragic loss of life-a serious human rights issue according to the commission’s stance. Both incidents highlight systemic deficiencies: poor maintenance of open drains and mismanagement of waterlogging issues despite prior resident complaints.

From a broader perspective, consistently recurring instances like this reflect governance challenges related to urban development standards across Delhi-NCR areas.This intervention by NHRC may serve as a wake-up call for stricter accountability mechanisms among municipal bodies and development authorities tasked with ensuring citizen safety-especially concerning children’s spaces that might inherently attract higher risks without proper safeguards.

Read More: Published – July 17, 2025 [Link provided]