Noida: A 23-year-old student died after drowning in a water-filled pit near the Supernova building in Sector 94. Police said the incident occurred around 4pm on Wednesday.Harshit Bhatt, a resident of Indirapuram, was pursuing an undergraduate degree in physical education at a private university in Sector 125. Police said he had appeared for his final paper for the sixth semester earlier in the day and decided to go for a picnic with three of his friends.The four men had gathered near a large water-filled pit located on the site of the proposed Noida Habitat and Convention Centre behind the Supernova building. The project, which was being developed by the UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Limited (UPRNNL), had been stalled since 2022. Noida Authority had cancelled the tender after UPRNNL had sublet the site to a third party that was excavating the soil illegally.The men had allegedly entered the site through a broken section in the boundary wall. They had planned to celebrate the completion of their exams with a picnic near the edge of the pit.Around 3.30pm, the group decided to take a swim. His friends told police that Harshit was the first one to enter. After two laps around the pit, Harshit tried to venture further toward the centre, but he did not realise the depth and began to drown.One of his friends tried to rescue him but failed as his foot got trapped in a marshy patch. Realising the situation was beyond their control, they alerted the police. Teams from the Sector 126 police station, NDRF, SDRF and the fire department reached the spot along with divers.They eventually pulled Harshit out and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The body was later sent for post-mortem examination.Deputy commissioner of police Saad Miya Khan said preliminary investigation suggests death due to drowning, though police are examining all aspects of the incident. No formal complaint has been filed by the family at Sector 126 police station yet, and further action will depend on the complaint and post-mortem findings.The divers involved in the rescue operation said that the edges of the pit were relatively shallow, but the centre was significantly deeper and contained marsh-like sludge. Although the water appeared clear from above, the sticky bottom made it difficult for anyone trapped to escape.Harshit’s family is reeling from the shock of his death. His father is in the Indian Army and is currently posted in Ladakh. His mother and aunt told police that Harshit was never professionally trained but he had always enjoyed swimming.During inspection of the site, police found beer cans and liquor bottles near the pit, indicating the students might have been intoxicated.Police said the investigation is ongoing and further action will follow based on findings and statements from witnesses.Harshit’s death comes months after 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta drowned in a water-filled pit in Sector 150. Yuvraj was on his way home from Gurgaon when the accident occurred on the night of Jan16-17. It has once again brought forth the safety lapses at construction sites and the authorities’ apathy.
