On the streets of Delhi, a labourer, 32 years old fell into an open drain and died in North-West Delhi’s Rohini sector 32, near Mahashakti Kali Temple, in Begumpur area. The man who Died after falling into an open drain in Rohini, identified as Birju Kumar Rai. He was a native of Samastipur, Bihar and was stuck in the 14-foot deep sewer for almost 24 hours before his body was recovered by rescue teams.
Birju lost his balance and fell into the open drain, Vacant by DDA
According to local Police, the tragic accident happened at around 7:30 PM on Monday, February 9, 2026. Another labourer, Budhan Das also known as Suraj, told to police that Birju was on his way back to the jhuggi cluster they lived close to the Begumpur area after drinking some liquor near the Mahashakti Kali Temple in Rohini Sector 32, Birju lost his balance and fell into the open manhole 14 feet deep drain, where the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has a vacant land and left the sewer uncovered
Because of being drunk, Budhan Das didn’t inform the police immediately. It was only the next day that he told a friend friend named Amir Hussain.
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The 24-Hour Wait and Negligence
The timeline of the recovery has sparked massive public outrage:
- PCR Call: Police received the first report at 2:36 PM on Tuesday, nearly 18 hours after the fall.
- Delayed Search: While police reached the spot, residents alleged that specialized rescue units like the Fire Brigade arrived much later, around 7:15 PM.
- Final Recovery: Birju’s body was eventually pulled out between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses and social workers at the accuse the administration of serious negligence. Some locals said they had seen the DDA officials hurriedly covering other open manholes in the area with lids and stones only after the incident became the center of attention.
Negligence causing the death
This death has become the second fatal accident due to open drains in the national capital delhi in just a span of five days. On February 5, A 25 years old, Kamal Dhyani who was an assistant manager in HDFC Bank, lost his life after his motorbike fell in a 15-foot deep pit that was dug for sewer work in Janakpuri.
An FIR has been registered against unknown persons for causing death by negligence, under the relevant sections of the law. As investigators look into which agency or contractor failed to secure the site, residents are left asking: “How many more lives must be lost before the city’s open pits are finally sealed?.”
