New Delhi: The death of a 25-year-old man in west Delhi’s Janakpuri once again highlights how open, poorly maintained pits continue to lead to casualties and serious injuries in the city. Despite warnings and past incidents, many pits remain uncovered, unguarded and inadequately marked, posing a constant threat to the public.In June 2023, a 51-year-old man, along with his auto, fell into a 12-foot-deep pit in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar, leading to his death. An inquiry revealed that the pit had neither warning signs nor protective coverings. The incident came to light only after a passerby noticed the auto in the pit after a long time.
The issue has also drawn judicial attention in the past. In 2023, Delhi High Court awarded Rs 23 lakh as compensation to the family of a 12-year-old boy who had drowned in a water-filled ditch dug between northeast Delhi’s Pilli Mitti railway line and a metro line in 2013.Such directives, however, appear to have had limited impact on the ground. In Aug 2024, two children died after drowning in a water-filled pit in Rohini’s Prem Nagar. Just two months earlier, in June, three labourers fell into a pit at an under-construction building in southwest Delhi’s Vasant Vihar. After a 20-hour operation, teams from Delhi Fire Services and National Disaster Response Force retrieved their bodies.Road users have also repeatedly fallen victim to similar hazards across the city. In March 2025, a 37-year-old man lost his life in a suspected accident on MB Road in south Delhi’s Tigri. Police launched a probe to determine whether a water-filled pothole had caused his motorcycle to lose balance, resulting in a fatal fall. Last Feb, a car plunged into a massive pit when a section of the road caved in in Dwarka.
