The NHRC on Thursday sought a status report within four weeks from the chief secretary, NCT of Delhi, police commissioner, vice-chairman of DDA and municipal commissioner on rising cases relating to deaths caused by drowning or electrocution in the capital on account of apparent negligence by civic authorities.

The commission issued notices to the authorities while taking suo motu cognisance of news reports that a five-year-old boy died after falling into an open drain at Alipur in northwest Delhi on October 7.

The contractor who worked there reportedly left the drain open at various places without placing any warning signs. The commission said this is the fifth such incident in recent times in the national capital.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has observed that the contents of the news report about the case and similar incidents in recent times, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the victims because of negligence of the civic authorities.

It is very concerning that such incidents indicating negligence by the public authorities continue to happen in the national capital, it said. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the officials.

The report is expected to include the status of the FIRs in the cases, action taken against the responsible officials, and compensation, if any, paid to the deceased’s next of kin. The commission would also like to know about the steps taken/proposed by the authorities to stop such incidents.

On October 8, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl lost her life after falling into an open drain in northeast Delhi’s Khajuri Khas.