A 69-year-old man died after falling into a 10 to 15-foot-deep excavation dug for drainage-line work in Pune’s Yerawada, prompting demands for criminal action against the contractor and a safety audit of excavation sites across the city.
The deceased was identified as Pradeep Laxman Pardeshi. According to a report by Pudhari, Pardeshi fell into the road excavation on Saturday, 17 October, suffered serious injuries and later died during treatment. The incident has raised concerns about safety arrangements at a work site that has reportedly remained active for about six months.
Local residents alleged that the excavation was not adequately secured. They said strong iron barricades, night-visibility indicators and warning signs are mandatory at drainage work sites, but only lightweight plastic barricades had been placed around the pit. Residents also alleged that wardens were not deployed to guide pedestrians and manage traffic near the excavation.
The reported circumstances have placed the focus on how civic construction sites are protected after roads are opened for utility work. A deep excavation on a public road creates risks for pedestrians, motorists and nearby residents, particularly when barriers are difficult to see after dark or when pedestrian movement is not separated from construction activity.
Residents further alleged that complaints about the work had been made earlier but were ignored by the administration. The drainage project is reported to have continued for six months, although the report does not specify the contractor’s name, the exact location of the excavation or whether any municipal inspection had taken place before the incident.
The death has also triggered demands for action against the contractor. Corporator Avinash Salve, Shiv Sena city organiser Anand Goyal and other leaders from across political parties have reportedly sought strict action from the Pune Municipal Corporation commissioner. They have demanded that the contractor be permanently blacklisted and booked for culpable homicide.
The demand for a criminal case remains a request from local leaders and residents; the supplied report does not confirm that such a case has been registered. It also does not state whether the Pune Municipal Corporation or the police have announced an investigation, compensation, suspension of work or any specific enforcement action following Pardeshi’s death.
Residents have called for a safety audit of all excavation sites in Pune to prevent similar incidents. The next reported steps are the demands placed before the municipal commissioner and any decision by the civic administration or police on contractor accountability, site-safety checks and further action in the Yerawada case.
