Scrap collector dies in clogged drain in Digboi’s Borbil area

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: In a tragic incident, a scrap collector died in Digboi’s Borbil area. On Tuesday morning, the body of Shayam Sundar Singh, son of Late Bhargav Singh of Borbil No. 2, was recovered from beneath a heap of garbage in the AOD Tel Nallah. Singh, who worked under an unregulated scrap vendor in Borbil No. 1, is believed to have entered the clogged drain during continuous rainfall, only to be trapped and suffocated in the filth.

Villagers blamed the incident on the ongoing construction of an overbridge under the NHIDCL-monitored road project. They allege that the project has blocked the natural flow of the township’s sewage, turning the Tel Nallah into a deathtrap. “The huge accumulation of garbage in the drain caused this tragedy. The negligence of the project authorities is directly accountable,” alleged village Headman Krishna Mahato.

The AOD Digboi Refinery authority expressed regret over the loss of life and revealed that it has already earmarked Rs 1.5 crore in its first phase budget for the construction of a proper drain.

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