Delhi High Court orders DDA to pay Rs 20 lakh compensation for tragic drain accident

The Delhi High Court has ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to pay compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the legal heirs of a woman and her three-year-old son who tragically died after falling into a flooded drain in July.

Initially, the DDA's lawyer offered Rs 1.5 million, but the court headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan insisted on Rs 2 million, terming it as “customary”. The court order clarified that this compensation was given as a humanitarian gesture and not as an admission of guilt.

The order was issued during a hearing on a public litigation filed by a local resident, Jhunnu Lal Srivastava, who accused the DDA and its contractor of negligence. The court also observed that the area where the accident occurred was still “quite dirty” and called for immediate cleaning to prevent health problems such as dengue.

(With contributions from agencies.)