HC orders compensation to survivors of minor dying after falling into trench

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

In the Deolai area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a three-and-a-half-year-old boy, Ishwar Sandeep Bhaskar, died on September 4, 2025, after falling into a 15-foot-deep trench dug for a water pipeline. This information was presented before the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court during the hearing on the new water supply scheme.

Expressing sorrow over the incident, the bench comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Ashwin Bhobe on Friday directed the court-appointed monitoring committee to decide on granting compensation to the child’s family. Furthermore, the bench ordered the contractor to install barricades, reflector ribbons, and warning boards at water supply project sites, especially where deep trenches or pits exist.

Stay on two MJP letters

On January 9, 2025, the high court had directed that the Chief Engineer of Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) should not be transferred without its permission, so that the water supply project work would not be disrupted. However, on August 20, 2025, MJP’s chief administrative officer, Gajanan Gurav, issued an order assigning separate supervision of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city water supply project and the Marathwada Water Grid project to the Chief Engineer, while transferring the remaining responsibilities to the Superintending Engineers of three regional MJP divisions.

This order was challenged through a petition by MJP Chief Engineer Manisha Palande. On September 3, the High Court allowed Palande to withdraw her petition and permitted her to file a civil application in the public interest litigation (PIL) related to the water supply scheme. Subsequently, on September 10, the chief executive officer cancelled the August 20 order through another letter. Palande then challenged both orders through a civil application.

The High Court, observing that MJP should have obtained its prior permission before re-allocating work, stayed both letters. It also granted MJP the liberty to file an explanation regarding the matter.