Pune: A 69-year-old man died after falling into a 10-15ft-deep pit dug for drainage line work near Chitra Chowk in Yerawada on Saturday afternoon while walking towards the market from his home, triggering questions over safety arrangements at the excavation site and demands for strict action against the contractor.Police identified the deceased as Pradeep Laxman Pardeshi, a laundry business owner from Yerawada. “Pardeshi suffered serious injuries after falling into the pit and was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed during treatment in the early hours of Sunday,” senior inspector Yuvraj Nandre of Laxminagar police said.Police have registered an accidental death report (ADR). “We reviewed CCTV footage and found that an autorickshaw struck Pardeshi before he fell into the excavation pit. Efforts are under way to trace the driver,” the officer said.Residents alleged that the site lacked adequate safety measures. They said only plastic barricades had been installed around the dug-up site and no wardens were deployed to guide pedestrians or regulate traffic. “The dug-up site is protected with plastic barricades,” a resident said.According to Nandre, the elderly man appeared to have fallen into the gap between two plastic barricades. “We will examine the circumstances before deciding on criminal action against those responsible,” he said.The drainage project has been under way for nearly six months, with the residents claiming they had previously raised concerns about safety at the site. Corporator Avinash Salve questioned Pune Municipal Corporation’s oversight of the work and said, “I had taken up the matter with the PMC commissioner.”Citing videos of the site, Salve alleged that flimsy barricades had been used where stronger iron barricades were required. He also demanded that the contractor be permanently blacklisted and booked for culpable homicide over the alleged negligence.The incident also renewed scrutiny of PMC’s monitoring of excavation works carried out by contractors. “Such sites are expected to have proper barricading, warning signage, illumination during night hours and safe passage for pedestrians and motorists,” an activist said.The residents have demanded a thorough inquiry into Pardeshi’s death and a citywide audit of safety measures at ongoing road and drainage excavation sites to prevent similar tragedies.
