New Delhi: The fatal fall of a 25-year-old biker into an op-en DJB pit on Friday has brought back civic worksite safety into focus and rene-wed calls for stronger on-ground monitoring. While a Jan 24 letter from Delhi Jal board on site safety checks was allegedly ignored, Delhi Traffic Police also flagged unsafe civic work practices in the Tilak Nagar-Janakpuri belt on Feb 4. Officials noted that excavation at the west Delhi site began on Feb 5, a day after the Feb 4 communication. The letter, addressed to the executive engineer, Janakpuri, highlighted civic negligence at the worksites in the entire area, including debris left on main roads and service lanes even after repair and maintenance work, potholes and inadequate repair of damaged road portions.Soon after Friday’s incident, Delhi govt wrote to the agencies concerned, including traffic police, directing them to ensure proper protection, barricading and safety compliance at worksites across the city. Delhi Police has already registered an FIR for culpable homicide against the project contractor and DJB officials. The agency has also suspended three officials. The traffic police’s communication had pointed out that potholes and damaged road portions created dur-ing work were not properly restored or refilled, posing safety risks and increasing accident potential for commuters and pedestrians.It also pointed to a wider pattern of lax compliance, noting that agencies increasingly treated work notification as a formality and often began work without proper coordination with the traffic authorities. Sources said early warnings were meant to help agencies make necessary safety arrangements in advance.Additional CP (traffic) DK Gupta said, “As part of standard procedure, traffic police notify agencies about all works being carried out in an area. The communication is not limited to traffic diversion — it includes instructions on site cleanliness, debris removal and adherence to laid-down safety protocols. In this area, the agency was informed about maintaining sites properly, from clearing debris to following protocols.“Senior DJB officials said its Jan 24 communication was issued at the departmental level. Officials indicated that not only the traffic police alert, but repeated departmental warnings also did not fully translate into ground compliance.Additional CP Gupta said, “Our officials are constantly on the ground and act as watchdogs at most worksites. Standard advisories include proper signage, barricading and compliance with prescribed norms. Submission of the mandatory proforma and adherence to the laid-down procedures is essential.”Delhi Traffic Police also routinely flag urban hazards affecting road safety and traffic flow, including stray cattle blocking roads, pedestrians jaywalking and vendors encroaching on carriageways.The department issued at least 154 letters until Nov in 2025, identifying problem spots where relatively small corrective measures could improve both safety and traffic movement. Most of these communications were addressed to agencies such as Public Works Department (PWD) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).Many of these concerns were not about complex design failures, but highlighted everyday hazards commuters face. The most frequent issue — flagged at 37 locations — was carriageway obstructions, including markets with bus stops too close to junctions, lanes narrowed by encroachments and roads taken over by vendors or stray cattle.Speed management gaps were flagged at 31 locations. In areas such as Mayur Vihar near Ryan International School and NH-44 near Mukarba Chowk, inconsistent rumble strips, poorly marked speed breakers and chaotic merge points continued to pose risks to commuters.PWD officials said several corrective steps were underway, including speed-calming measures, tenders for 21-foot overbridges, more U-turns and signage upgrades. Besides removing stray cattle from some stretches, MCD had shifted weekly markets from roads like Bhagwan Mahavir Marg, but encroachments reappeared in certain areas.
