Patna: A section of Patna’s Saidpur Nallah has become increasingly hazardous after the collapse of its protective fencing, with residents reporting that more than two dozen people and vehicles have fallen into the open drain in recent months.
The danger was underscored on Tuesday when a child, waiting for his school van near Chaitola opposite Nand Nagar village, fell into the drain after panicking at the sight of an approaching cow. His father immediately jumped in to save him, only for both to begin sinking in the murky water.
Locals rushed to help and managed to pull them out using ropes and bamboo poles. A video of the incident, showing residents struggling to rescue the father and son, quickly went viral.
According to rescuers Sumit Kumar, Soni Yadav, Shyam Babu Yadav and others, the child — Aditya Kumar — and his father, Deepak Yadav of Hasanpur Chaitola, were waiting for the school van to take him to a private school in Rajendra Nagar. When the cow brushed past, the startled child toppled into the drain. His father leapt in without hesitation to save him.
The boy, visibly shaken and crying, was later taken for first aid. Residents say the incident highlights worsening conditions along the drain.
Local resident Bablu Kumar said the collapsed fencing, soil erosion and subsidence along the road have turned the Saidpur drain into a “life-threatening” zone. He criticised the slow pace of ongoing construction and demanded immediate intervention from the municipal corporation.
He urged authorities to restore safety barriers and secure the stretch until construction is completed. “This drain has already swallowed too many people. The administration must act before a bigger tragedy occurs,” he said.
