PESHAWAR — A massive 24-hour search operation concluded today as Rescue 1122 recovered the body of a 15-month-old girl from the Hindko Daman Northern Bypass. The infant fell into an uncovered sewage drain outside Parda Bagh, a popular family park, highlighting the lethal negligence surrounding open drains in Peshawar.
The Incident at Parda Bagh
At approximately 5:30 PM yesterday, a woman exited Parda Bagh—a facility primarily visited by women and children—with her 15-month-old daughter. Both mother and child fell directly into the Shahi Katha, a deep and high-velocity sewage drain running alongside the park.
While bystanders rescued the mother, the infant girl—weighing only 4.5 to 5 kilograms—disappeared into the swift current. At the time of the accident, the site lacked any protective barriers or manhole covers. Authorities only erected temporary hurdles after the tragedy occurred.
A Critical Delay and Massive Search
Rescue 1122 received the initial report at 6:45 PM, more than an hour after the fall. This delay bypassed the “golden hour” essential for water rescues. Despite the late notification, Director General Rescue 1122 personally supervised a relentless operation involving over 50 rescue personnel.
Specialized diving teams navigated a complex and hazardous underground drainage system. The search extended across seven to nine critical flow points.
Rescuers faced two primary challenges: the rapid water flow that swept the lightweight child toward main canals and the heavy accumulation of sludge and garbage within the Shahi Katha that hampered visibility and movement.
Recovery and Success Against Odds
After nearly 24 hours of continuous effort, rescue divers located and recovered the child’s body near the Hindko Daman Northern Bypass. A spokesperson for Rescue 1122 confirmed the completion of the “successful yet somber” operation, noting that teams overcame extreme structural difficulties within the underground network to retrieve the body.
Systematic Negligence Exposed
The recovery intensifies public scrutiny of the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) and the Local Government Department. The Shahi Katha is a known high-velocity drainage artery, yet it remained exposed in a high-traffic public zone.
Reports indicate that over 1,000 open drains in Peshawar currently lack manhole covers. While official announcements frequently promise to secure these channels, the lack of practical action continues to turn public walkways into death traps.
Conclusion
The 24-hour ordeal ended today with the retrieval of the 15-month-old girl. While the rescue teams demonstrated professional rigor in a difficult environment, the incident remains a stark reminder of the municipal failures that led to this avoidable loss of life.
