2 children drown after falling into ditch linked to water scheme

2 min readJul 6, 2026 08:09 PM IST

The incident sparked criticism from residents and elected representatives, who alleged that the water-filled ditch was linked to works under the Kuppa Water Supply Scheme and had been left uncovered and unsecured. (Image generated using AI)

Two children, aged over four and three, drowned after falling into a water-filled ditch near their house in a tribal village of Gujarat’s Chhota Udepur district on Monday. The ditch turned into a deep pond due to the leakage from a pipeline of the Kuppa Water Supply Scheme, the residents alleged, and demanded action against the officials concerned for keeping the ditch uncovered.

The incident occurred around noon in Moti Jaduli village of Kawant taluka, where the daughters of Budhariya Bhil were playing close to their residence. They allegedly slipped into the pit and drowned before help could reach them.

Family members and villagers rushed to the spot after learning about the incident and pulled the children out of the water before taking them to the hospital. Doctors at the local health centre declared both girls dead on arrival. The deceased were identified as four-and-a-half-year-old Nirumati and three-and-a-half-year-old Meenakshi Bhil. The incident sparked criticism from residents and elected representatives, who alleged that the water-filled ditch was linked to works under the Kuppa Water Supply Scheme and had been left uncovered and unsecured.

Manka Taluka Panchayat member Kemji Bhil alleged that the deaths were the result of negligence.

“The ditch was filled due to the leaking pipes of the ongoing Kuppa Water supply project. The execution and maintenance of the project have been negligent. A high-level inquiry into the incident should be held, and action should be taken against officials and employees found responsible for the lapses,” Kemji Bhil demanded.

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Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.

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Chhota Udepur district

drowning

Vadodara