Woman dies after falling into crater; villagers launch flash protest seeking action against PWD officers

Residents protested after a woman fell into a huge pit dug for bridge repairs in Hosur in Bailhongal taluk in Belagavi district on Wednesday.

Mallavva Suresh Viveki, 44, had gone for a walk when she accidentally fell into the crater. It was a deep reed dug for the construction of a column at the site of the bridge on the Bailahongal-Munavalli main road.

She drowned in the water below. Protestors took the dead body to the main road and blocked it for over an hour. They alleged that deep embankments were left open during construction, and water had accumulated in them. No barricades, barriers, warning signs, and night-visible safety systems were installed to warn commuters, they said.

They said they had warned the contractor several times, but no action was taken to close the dangerous embankments or prevent the public from going near it. They sought action against the contractor and the PWD officers in charge of the project.

Later, the police intervened in the matter. They called the PWD officers to the police station and made them assure action against those found guilty. The villagers dispersed after the assurance.

Somalingappa Mellikeri, Fakiragouda Siddanagouda, Gurupada Kalli, Madivalappa Chalakoppa, Shanmukha Shirennavar, Basavaraj Viveki, and others were present at the protest site.