DDA rebuttal to AAP on Delhi Ghazipur drowning case

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Monday said that its decision to pay ₹20 lakh as compensation to the legal heir of a woman and her three-year old son, who died after falling into a half-open under-construction drain in Ghazipur on July 31, was purely a “humanitarian gesture”, rejecting claims that it was responsible for the incident.
The DDA statement came two days after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) targeted the authority and lieutenant governor VK Saxena — under whose jurisdiction the body falls — for the deaths.
On July 31, Tanuja, 22, and her son Priyansh, 3, died after they fell into the Ghazipur drain near Khoda Colony. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) alleged that the part of the drain where the incident took place was under the jurisdiction of DDA, which, in turn, alleged that the drain was under MCD’s jurisdiction.
Later, on September 5, DDA told the Delhi high court that it will pay ₹20 lakh as compensation to the legal heir of the woman and her three-year old son on humanitarian grounds, without admitting any liability regarding the incident.
On Monday, DDA in its statement said that the drain where the woman and her son died belongs to MCD.
“Allegations and misinformation is being spread about the DDA and the Lieutenant Governor with regard to the order September 5 order of High Court of Delhi in the matter of the unfortunate incident… DDA unequivocally reiterates its earlier position… DDA has submitted before the High Court its willingness to pay a compensation of ₹20 lakhs to the legal heir of the deceased persons without prejudice to its rights and contentions, and without admitting any liability on its part,” the statement said.
“DDA’s stand was that the open drain where this unfortunate accident occurred falls under the jurisdiction of the MCD. This drain in question, along with 9.9 km of roads, had been transferred by the DDA to the MCD in March 2023 by paying deficiency charges of Rs. 26.05 Crore. The DDA still maintains the same stand,” the statement added.
The AAP, however, remained firm in its stand, saying the drain came under the jurisdiction of DDA.
“The apathy of the LG of Delhi towards the people of Delhi is evident from the fact that he never bothered to visit the site; chose not to stand with the bereaved family by washing his hands of his responsibility by claiming that the drain did not come under DDA’s jurisdiction… The tragic deaths occurred where a large portion of an under-construction drain was left uncovered,” the AAP said in a statement.