Three-year-old dies after falling into open septic tank

According to officials and locals, the child ran ahead of the others and, in the darkness, fell into the open septic tank

INDORE: A three-year-old boy from Maharashtra, who had travelled with his family to offer prayers at Omkareshwar temple in Khandwa district, died after falling into an uncovered septic tank near Brahmpuri parking area.The child, Tanush Usrathe, was travelling from Nagpur with his family. Around 5 am on Friday, the family’s bus arrived at Brahmpuri parking area. According to officials and local residents, the child ran ahead after getting off the bus and, in the darkness, fell into an open septic tank.Hearing Tanush’s cries, his father, Kailash Usrathe, jumped into the tank. With the help of local residents, the child was pulled out and rushed to Civil Hospital in Omkareshwar before being referred for further treatment.

Doctors at Sanawad hospital said that the child had taken in contaminated water, leading to severe lung damage and widespread infection. Tanush died during treatment.After postmortem examination on Saturday, his body was handed over to the family, which left for Nagpur in a private vehicle.The incident has sparked outrage among local residents, who alleged that the septic tank had been left exposed after an anti-encroachment drive carried out by Omkareshwar Municipal Council as part of preparations for Simhastha 2028. They claimed that the structure above the tank had been demolished during the drive, but the opening was not secured, creating a serious safety hazard.The septic tank is located on the premises of Lounvanshi Dharamshala.Omkareshwar Municipal Council Chief Municipal Officer, Monica Pardhi, said that the septic tank had originally been covered with a concrete slab after removal of encroachments.She said that members of the dharamshala later removed part of the covering while extracting iron from the site, leaving the pit exposed. She added that the municipal council had the pit filled immediately after learning of the incident and said action would be taken against whosoever was found responsible.The bereaved family also held the administration responsible. Kailash Usrathe said that they had travelled to Omkareshwar for a pilgrimage, but administrative negligence had turned the visit into a tragedy. He demanded strict action against those responsible and urged authorities to immediately identify and cover all open septic tanks to prevent similar incidents.