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NEW DELHI: The killer pit - 20 feet long, 14 feet deep and 13 feet wide - in which Kamal Dhyani's body was found is bang on Joginder Singh Marg in Janakpuri, a stretch dotted with at least four other pits, just as gaping.
Like this one - large enough to swallow a four-wheeler - they have been dug by Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for underground sewer work. A spot inspection of the stretch by TOI revealed multiple safety lapses.Before Friday morning, just two brown barricades had been placed near the traffic light at the start of this stretch, leaving wide gaps on the sides and between them. These gaps, locals said, are routinely used by two-wheelers to enter and exit the road, particularly because there are no barricades further ahead. On Friday morning, though, the site looked markedly different. Green safety nets had been strung around the killer pit, a divider and some concrete pipes meant to be used to lay sewer lines. A crane parked nearby blocked off the area. "It is only after the incident that the green netting has been put up," said Rajesh Kapur, a resident. Several other locals huddling at the site echoed his claim, saying that even though the barricades had been installed, they were too few and far between.
There was ample space for two-wheelers to slip through. Beside the killer pit is a narrow, uneven passage that two-wheelers have been reportedly taking to circumvent it. This path is covered with slush and loose, muddy soil. The surface looked slippery enough for a motorcycle to skid on. A delivery rider who uses the stretch regularly said it is often used as a shortcut by two-wheelers in order to avoid heavy traffic on the main road, which remains congested.Just a few metres ahead of the pit where Kamal was found, TOI saw several other pits - they still lacked guardrails - right up to the end of the road where a DJB board and two big concrete pipes are the only signs alerting commuters of the lurking dangers.The road, named after the father of Sant Meet Singh, a 56-year-old local, had been dug up repeatedly over the past year, the residents claimed. Singh, whose family has lived in the neighbourhood for four decades, said the road has been witnessing constant construction.
"It has been going on for nearly a year. The pit into which the man fell had been dug only two days earlier," Singh said.He recalled an incident which took place near the same spot in 2024. "A section of the road had caved in, resulting in a massive sinkhole, after a truck used to clean sewers was driven past," he said, adding, "residents have been urging the authorities to replace old sewer lines and repair the road properly.
The stretch feel cursed - it is constantly dug up for one project or another."Lighting conditions on it also raises concerns. A streetlight near the killer pit is said to frequently malfunction, leaving the area nearly dark at night. This makes it difficult for commuters to spot potential hazards, the locals said, adding that the combination of open pits, inadequate barricading, poor lighting and slippery terrain has turned the stretch into a hazard zone. They are now calling for sustained safety measures and permanent repairs, warning that without systemic fixes, similar accidents could occur again.
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