: The owners of the plot, where Nandini fell into an open tank and died, have maintained that they cannot be held accountable for her death as they had taken all measures in the past to prevent accidents.
From fencing the periphery of the tank to putting covers, the Trust, which owns the field where the drowning accident happened, claimed to have tried all precautionary measures but to no avail.
“They [locals] cut the wires, and sell them. The metallic covers have been stolen thrice over. We realise the consequences of an open tank and hence, invest money. But locals, too, have to be responsible enough to let it remain in place,” said Ashok Kukreja, a member of the Trust which runs a gurdwara, the school and the Kartar Singh Old Age Home.
He clarified that the tank was not a septic tank as had been reported earlier, and denied that effluents from the school and the old-age home flowed into it. The tank, he said, was to store water to irrigate the fields they have.
Mr. Kukreja also blamed the victim’s mother for not supervising the child’s actions.
“It’s not as if it was a narrow passage, and the girl had no choice but to walk close to the tank. It was the carelessness of the mother which resulted in the accident,” he said.
