A three-year-old girl who fell into a burning pile of garbage while playing at the Shivajinagar police quarters, succumbed to burns on March 13. The deceased, Harshali, is the daughter of Constable Lokeshappa, who is attached to Cubbon Park traffic police station.
Though the incident took place on March 5, and Harshali died on March 13, the incident came to light after Lokeshappa reportedly shared a message on WhatsApp on Monday seeking justice for his daughter’s death.
According to locals, the incident took place inside the police quarters where garbage and waste materials are routinely set on fire. Residents said that on March 5 around 5.30 p.m., Harshali and another boy of the same age were tussling over a ball when she fell into a burning pile of waste.
Witnesses said her body was on fire as she ran on to the road. A passer-by, identified as Subash, doused the flames with water. She was taken to Bowring Hospital where doctors said that she had sustained 30% burns. Harshali was later shifted to Victoria Hospital where she passed away on March 13 after failing to respond to treatment.
Police register case after post goes viral
The jurisdictional Shivajinagar police initially registered a non-cognisable report, but no one has been held responsible for the girl’s death, said a family member. On Monday, after Lokeshappa’s post went viral, Shivajinagar police visited the spot to register a case. Residents at the quarters blamed the tragedy on the lack of basic maintenance
“Garbage collected here is dumped within the quarters, and set on fire every day. There are at least seven spots where garbage collectors set fire to waste. We have complained about it to the maintenance team, but the problem has not been addressed,” said a resident.
DCP (east) Rahul Kumar said that Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar has sought a report on the incident. “I have visited the spot, and appropriate action will be taken,” he added.
Bulk generators burn garbage routinely: BBMP
As the police quarters is a bulk waste generator, it has been tasked with handling its own waste through empanelled vendors. “But we have been observing that most campuses of government agencies are resorting to storing and burning garbage, which is a violation of law,” said D. Randeep, Special Commissioner, Solid Waste Management. “The police quarters can process waste in situ as well. We will take up the issue in the upcoming co-ordination committee meeting chaired by the chief secretary.”
