A six-year-old girl has drowned in a swimming pool at Uttan. The couple along with other staff of a private bank had come for a trip to a bungalow in the Chowk area of Uttan. While the couple was having breakfast on the first floor of the bungalow, their twins had gone to play on the ground floor.
“Geetika Nadkarni slipped while playing and fell into a nearby swimming pool. Her brother cried and shouted when he saw her sister has fallen into the water. At the same time, her parents on the first floor saw her lying in the water. Immediately, they ran and pulled Geetika out of the water. However, she was declared dead at the private hospital,” said Prashant Langi, Senior Inspector, Uttan Coastal Police Station.
Geetika and her family, residents of Dahisar, were part of a group of ICICI Bank employees who had booked the private bungalow in Uttan for the weekend. They arrived on Friday morning. Around 10.30 am when the group gathered to have breakfast, Geetika and her twin moved away from the crowd towards the pool. The group comprised a few other children.
In this case, accidental death was registered at the Uttan police station. Police said they are procuring the details of the owner of the private bungalow in Uttan.
Security Concern arises
The incident has yet again exposed the lack of safety measures and illegalities at private bungalows in the Gorai-Uttan belt. Bungalows are mushrooming and brazenly rented out to couples and for private parties without any permission from authorities.
However, security guards or lifeguards should be provided by the operators to keep a watchful eye on the swimming pool at the time of tourist arrivals. Such incidents can be curtailed. A case should also be registered against the bungalow owners and managers. It’s important for the police and municipal administration to pay attention so that such incidents don’t happen again in future.
