6-year-old boy drowns in Pitampura pool

A political storm erupted in the Capital after a six-year-old boy, Daksh Rathi, tragically drowned at a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) swimming pool in Pitampura here on Friday.

The AAP on Sunday squarely blamed the BJP-led MCD for what it termed a “gross act of negligence,” holding both Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh responsible for the child’s death.

Addressing a press conference, Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Ankush Narang, alleged that there was no lifeguard present at the pool when the incident took place.

“By the time a lifeguard was called and the child was pulled out, it was too late,” Narang said, adding that the facility also lacked basic safety equipment and CCTV cameras.

According to Narang, the child, a skilled swimmer who had previously participated in summer swimming camps, was in the pool with two other children when he went missing. The other children raised an alarm, prompting a delayed rescue effort that ultimately failed. Doctors later confirmed that Daksh had been underwater for three to four minutes before being pulled out and declared brought dead at the hospital.

Narang criticised the MCD for outsourcing the facility to a private operator without ensuring compliance with safety norms. “Despite charging hefty user fee, the MCD handed over its swimming pools to private concessionaires with no oversight. No CCTV, no emergency preparedness and no lifeguard on duty — this is not just negligence, it’s a fatal failure,” he said.

He further demanded to know whether any inspections had been conducted by the MCD to ensure safety measures were in place at public pools. “Are lifeguards trained and equipped to respond in time? Are safety drills ever conducted? Or is it all being managed for political commissions and favours?” Narang questioned.

In a scathing attack on the BJP leadership, Narang asked why both CM Rekha Gupta and Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh had remained silent. “This incident took place in the CM’s own constituency. What action has been taken? Have safety standards been reviewed across other MCD swimming pools to prevent such tragedies in the future?” he asked.

Calling the incident a wake-up call, Narang said the people of Delhi, especially parents, are demanding accountability. “The silence of the BJP leadership is shameful. The Chief Minister and Mayor must answer who is responsible for the death of an innocent child?”