Toddler dies after falling into open sewage pit in Layyah

LAYYAH: A two-year-old boy lost his life after falling into an open sewage pit in Punjab’s Layyah district, highlighting ongoing safety hazards caused by the absence of a proper drainage system in rural areas.

According to the child’s father, the toddler was playing outside his house in Kakkar Wala village when he accidentally fell into the pit. Despite efforts by locals, the child could not be saved.

Residents of the area said the village does not have a formal sewage system and that they have been appealing to authorities for the past six years, but no action has been taken. They added that locals were forced to dig sewage pits on their own to manage waste, creating dangerous conditions, particularly for children.

Read More: Former Punjab chief minister Manzoor Wattoo passes away

The grieving family and residents urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take notice of the incident and address the long-standing sanitation issues in the village.

The tragedy comes only days after a similar incident in Lodhran, where a seven-year-old child died after falling into an open manhole in the Dhanot area. In that case, the child had gone to the market with his father to buy breakfast and fell into the manhole while returning home. He remained trapped for nearly two hours before his body was recovered.

Following the Lodhran incident, the chief minister removed the district commissioner and ordered strict action against those responsible. Additional Deputy Commissioner Liaqat Ali Gillani had confirmed that a case was registered against the contractor and the highway sub-engineer responsible for maintaining the area, adding that the matter was under investigation and strict action would be taken.

The repeated incidents have raised serious concerns over public safety and the lack of basic sanitation infrastructure in several parts of Punjab.