Follow safety norms or face action: PWD issues strict orders after Delhi biker’s death in open pit

He added, “Taking all possible measures as prescribed in various guidelines in letter and spirit can avoid such unfortunate accidents and thereby protect precious human lives.”

The victim, Kamal Dhyani, had spoken to his brother just before midnight on Thursday and told him he would be home soon. Hours later, on Friday morning, he was discovered at the bottom of the pit in West Delhi’s Janakpuri, covered in mud and still wearing his red helmet. His motorcycle lay next to him.

Just a day before the tragedy, the pit, around six metres long and four metres wide and deep, had been dug by the DJB on a service road as part of an ongoing major revamp of the Capital’s drainage network.

The government had ordered an inquiry into the tragedy and to fix responsibility and three officials involved with the project — a junior engineer, an assistant engineer, and an executive engineer — were suspended.

Orders go out

In the order marked to chief engineers (CE) of the PWD and the I&FC department, Chaudhary said all construction and maintenance work taking place on roads or adjoining areas must be carried out with prescribed safeguards in place — including barricades, signboards, diversion signage, and reflector lights.

Similarly, where drains run alongside roads, immediate and suitable measures must be taken to ensure that no vehicle or pedestrian falls into them. Engineers have also been directed to erect permanent walling or temporary crash barriers at all vulnerable locations along drains within 24 hours.

“Finally, in case of construction of buildings or manual cleaning of the drainage network, all possible safeguards such as the use of helmets, boots, green safety nets and other measures prescribed in the manual should be strictly followed,” Chaudhary said.

Issuing a stern warning, the ACS added, “Needless to say, strict and serious action will follow against the respective CEs/AEEs/JEs should any accident take place due to negligence or a casual approach adopted by the officers.”