Karnataka - Bangalore   

Endless wait for Aravind

Another tragedy waiting to happen:Even after Aravind's accident, the BBMP has not repaired the damaged fence of the Vrishabhavathi canal in Bangalore.

Bangalore: It has been more than three weeks since a game of cricket turned tragic for 13-year-old H. Aravind.

On May 13, the boy fell into the link drain of the Vrishabhavathi on Mysore Road and was washed away. His parents, Hanumanthappa and Devamma, still await news of the recovery of his body. Even the damaged fence at the spot is still to be repaired.

“The authorities concerned should repair the fence and resume the search operation to trace Aravind's body,” said Hanumanthappa and Devamma.

They refuse to perform Aravind's last rites till they get the body.

Aravind, a student of Mount Austin School in Deepanjali Nagar, was playing with his friends near the canal attached to the Venkateshwara Nagar slum, adjacent to the Karnataka Vidyut Kharkane. He slipped and fell into the drain when he was trying to retrieve the rubber ball they were playing when he was washed away.

“Soon after the accident officials started to search for the boy, but stopped it in just three days,” said Hanumanthappa, a daily wage labourer.

The grieving father said that in spite of being socially and economically weak, he had provided the boy a good education. “However, fate was not on our side and due to the neglect of the civic authorities my son is no longer with me,” he said.

Damaged fence

The BBMP had fenced the drain along the slum. But, when the nearby Gali Anjaneya Swamy temple was inundated due to incessant rain in the third week of April this year, the BBMP had removed a part of the fence to clear debris from the drain.

Having done that, the civic authorities had not closed it. The fencing has also been damaged at six other places.

Mayor's view

BBMP Mayor Sharadamma said: “We suspended the search operation after efforts to trace the body went in vain. We will consider resuming the operation if the persons concerned approach us. We have already paid Rs. 1 lakh as compensation.”

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