Security lapses at Basai, officers may be booked

GURGAON: A surprise inspection of the water treatment plant at Basai has led HUDA administrator Anita Yadav to seek a chargesheet against the plant manager, sub-divisional officer Subhash Piplani, for negligence of safety measures in the premises. The move came after two cousins drowned while taking a dip in a water tank in the plant on April 20. Junior engineer Yashwant Singh was suspended after the incident.
Yadav also served engineer-1 A K Gupta and executive engineer V K Sheokand show cause notices, seeking explanations about the security lapses at the treatment plant, including boundary walls and encroachments.
“After an inquiry committee under estate officer-1 Om Prakash submitted its findings, junior engineer Yashwant Singh was suspended for negligence and callousness. I’ve also written to the headquarters to charge sheet SDO Subhash Piplani, who was given independent charge of managing the Basai plant,” informed Yadav.
The Basai plant has a boundary wall on all four sides, which is broken at six different places, giving easy access to trespassers. The main entry and another gate were found unguarded, explained Yadav.
According to estate officer Om Prakash, there are a total of 21 guards deployed for the security of the plant, who work in shifts of eight hours each. “At any time, there are seven guards present. During our inspection on Saturday afternoon, we found six of the seven guards present, with two of them at the main gate and others in various parts of the premises. But we found that the guards don’t bother to check who enters the premises and whether they are employees or outsiders,” he said.
Yadav has ordered the boundary wall to be restored immediately. “Water to almost the entire city is supplied from here. No negligence in its security or functioning will be tolerated,” she told TOI.