The Dahi Handi festival is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane and the suburbs, with Govindas forming 9 to 10-tier human pyramids amid drumbeats and large crowds.
However, the celebrations were marred by a tragic incident in Malvani, Malad, Mumbai, where a seven-year-old child lost his life during a Dahi Handi event.
At around 3 p.m. on Saturday (5 Sept), local children were breaking their own Dahi Handi at Ekta Welfare Society in the Chikuwadi area on Marve Road in Malad West.
The rope of the Dahi Handi was tied on one side to a tree and on the other side to an unreinforced brick column on the ground floor of a building. As the children were attempting to break the Dahi Handi, the brick column suddenly collapsed due to the tension in the rope, trapping a seven-year-old boy, Rudra Kadam, underneath it.
He sustained serious head injuries in the horrific accident. He was immediately rushed to Malvani General Hospital, but doctors declared him dead before he could reach the hospital.
Administrative and Police Action
Upon receiving information about the unfortunate incident, the municipal ward control room, local administration, and police immediately rushed to the scene and assessed the situation.
The police conducted a panchnama and initiated further legal proceedings. The concerned authorities are also currently conducting a detailed investigation into the incident and taking the necessary administrative action.
Safety Concerns Come to the Fore
This death, which occurred on the day of the festival, has caused deep sorrow throughout the Malvani area. The incident has once again brought safety concerns during the festive season to the forefront.
There is now widespread discussion that unsafe practices and hazardous structures should not be used during Dahi Handi or any other public celebration, so that innocent lives are not lost in such tragic incidents in the future.
