Mira-Bhayandar: In a tragic incident which exposes the sheer negligence and shoddy safety measures for swimmers, an 11-year-old boy died due to drowning in the swimming pool located inside the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC)-owned Loknete Gopinath Munde Sports Complex in the Golden Nest area of Bhayandar (east).
The incident was reported at around 10:30 am on Sunday when the deceased boy identified as- Granth Hasmukh Mutha (11)- resident of Planetaria Complex in Bhayandar had gone to attend the summer camp organized by a private agency which has been hired by the civic administration to run the sports complex.
Site of tragedy: MBMC-run sports complex in Mira-Bhayandar where 11-year-old Granth Mutha drowned during summer camp | File Photo
Around 35 students had registered their participation in the camp. Blaming sheer negligence and apathy towards providing trained life guards and proper life-saving arrangements which led to the tragedy, the kin of the deceased have demanded FIR’s to be registered against the management of the sports complex.
“It is unimaginable and devastating for our family, the civic administration should take needed steps to ensure that such incidents are not repeated and no other parent is subjected to endure such a loss.” said Granth’s father. Granth was the youngest of two siblings.
“It appears that the management was more interested in minting money than providing basic facilities and ensuring safety arrangements for visiting members-mainly children who come here to get trained in various sporting activities. All those including contractors, sub-contractors and staffers who are responsible for the incident should be immediately arrested.” said social activist- Pradeep Jangam who had been continuously drawing the attention of the civic authorities towards the anomalies prevailing in the sports complex.
The management however claimed that life guards were on duty during the camp. Local legislator- Narendra Mehta who visited and consoled the grief-struck Mutha family has assured that he will ensure that none of those responsible for Granth’s death are left-off the hook.
While the body was sent for a post-mortem at the civil hospital in Bhayandar, the Navghar police instead of filing an offence for causing death due to negligence against the guilty had registered just an accidental death report (ADR) till reports last came in.
