SIRAHA, July 26: Two weeks ago in Sarlahi, a child died after drowning in a pit dug by a dozer and filled with water, which had been excavated during road construction. On July 6, six-year-old Sushant Yadav, son of Dinesh Yadav of Janakinagar in Haripur Municipality–1, died after falling into the pit while playing.
Such pits, dug for various purposes in different localities, turn into small ponds as rainwater collects in them. According to the District Police Office, Sarlahi, Sushant had left home around 10 AM and accidentally fell into a water-filled pit while playing. His body was later discovered about 500 meters southeast of his house.
In Sarabetol of Kamala Municipality–2 in Dhanusha, two children drowned in a pit dug for the construction of an agricultural road. Ritik, the 7-year-old son of Ramharibabu Sah, and Ritesh, the 5-year-old son of his brother Shyambabu Sah, drowned in the pit last month while playing.
The children had been watching videos on mobile phones at home, but when the power went out and Wi-Fi stopped working, they went out to play behind their house. Their grandmother, Kaushila, was unaware they had left. When she began searching for them, a woman spotted Ritesh’s body floating in the pit near the construction site. Locals were able to recover the body. Ritik’s body was later found in the same pit.
Pits dug for making bricks in Bhaktapur risking lives of childr...
Back in Baisakh (mid-April to mid-May), two children from Mahottari and Saptari also drowned in a pond. Police reported that the incident occurred in a pond located at Manara Brahmasthan in Manara Shiswa Municipality–1 of Mahottari. The deceased were 10-year-old Shubham Kumar, son of Bikesh Singh from Manara Brahmasthan, and 9-year-old Ayush Kumar Singh from Patharghatta Laxmipatti in Dakneshwori Municipality–9 of Saptari. Both had drowned while swimming in the pond and were taken to a nearby hospital in Manara, where they died during treatment.
Deaths by drowning in canals are also common in Madhesh. On Monday, an 18-year-old youth drowned in a canal located in Chandrapur Municipality-8 of Rautahat. The deceased was identified as Sheikh Naushad, a resident of Mugauliya Tole in the same municipality.
These are just a few representative incidents showing how recklessly dug pits and ponds have become deadly traps across Madhesh Province. Every year, hundreds of people lose their lives due to such unmonitored and abandoned pits and ponds. Legally, no one is held accountable for these deaths, and there have been no concrete efforts made to reduce such incidents. Children frequently drown and die in these unsafe ponds and waterholes, which are often created to beat the heat.
In the past four years, 674 people have died by drowning in various ponds and water pits across Madhesh Province. Among them, nearly 400 were children. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23, 105 people drowned in ponds and pits across all eight districts of the province. Among them were 65 children, nine women, and 31 men.
In FY 2021/22, 206 people drowned, including 109 children, 21 women, and 73 men. Similarly, 175 people died in FY 2023/24, and 188 more in FY 2024/25, according to data from the Madhesh Province Police Office (MPPO). The police state that most victims are children, who fall prey to water-related disasters due to a lack of awareness and supervision.
In villages, it is common to leave ponds or pits dug for clay or gravel unattended. During the rainy season, water collects in these pits, turning them into small ponds. For children, the water depth is dangerous, and if they enter or fall in, it often leads to fatal consequences.
According to MPPO Chief Uma Prasad Chaturvedi, a lack of public awareness among guardians and insufficient supervision of children are key causes behind such accidents.
Although the government has introduced various policies and programs to mitigate risks from floods, landslides, and natural disasters, deaths by drowning have not been prioritized. Despite many of these incidents being caused by human activities, the three tiers of government have yet to take the issue seriously, says Siraha-based intellectual Ashok Sah.
“None of the three levels of government has taken deaths by drowning seriously,” says Madhesh Provincial Assembly Member Ramashish Yadav. “We all know water is life, but human-induced activities and lack of awareness are increasing the risk of water-related disasters. In Madhesh, most of the children who die by drowning belong to poor, marginalized, and Dalit communities. The root cause is the lack of awareness among them. The issue of drowning should be taken seriously, and policies should be formulated to mitigate the risk—it must become a priority for all levels of government.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended 12 legal provisions to prevent drowning deaths. However, Nepal has not yet developed any specific laws, policies, or strategies regarding deaths caused by drowning. If a person intentionally digs a pit that results in someone's death, legal punishment can be enforced. But in cases where a person unintentionally leaves a pit or pond open and someone dies, there is currently no provision for punishment or compensation. To date, Nepal has only been able to establish a reporting system for drowning deaths under the Disaster Information System.
