Three children, aged between 8 and 10 years, drowned in an artificial pond at a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) golf course construction site in Sector 24, Dwarka, on Thursday morning, 30 April 2025, Delhi Police confirmed. The tragedy unfolded at a site where a golf course is being developed on DDA land, raising fresh concerns about safety at unguarded construction zones in the capital.

How the Incident Unfolded

A PCR call was received at Police Station Sector 23, Dwarka, at approximately 7:07 am, reporting that three children had drowned in a pond within the golf course premises. The Station House Officer (SHO), along with police personnel, rushed to the spot and immediately alerted other emergency agencies. The fire brigade assisted in retrieving all three children from the water. However, they were declared dead at the scene.

Preliminary Findings and Investigation

Preliminary findings suggest the children may have entered the premises late in the evening by scaling a boundary wall. Their clothes were reportedly found outside the pond, leading police to suspect they had gone there to bathe and accidentally drowned. Authorities, however, cautioned that a conclusive account will emerge only after a detailed investigation. The identification of the children is currently underway, and no missing persons report matching their description had been received at the time of filing this report. Police have initiated a formal investigation into the matter.

A Recurring Crisis at Unguarded Water Bodies

This is not an isolated incident. In June 2025, a six-year-old boy, Taksh Rathi, son of Manjeet Kumar, drowned in a swimming pool in Pitampura, northwest Delhi. He had gone to the facility with children from his locality and was declared brought dead upon arrival at hospital. Earlier, in April 2024, three teenage boys drowned while swimming in the Bawana canal in the Rohini area. A rescue operation involving around 50 personnel, including firefighters and a boat team, was launched before the bodies were recovered after an intensive search.

Safety Concerns at DDA Construction Sites

The repeated incidents point to a systemic gap in safety enforcement at DDA-managed and civic construction sites across Delhi. Artificial water bodies at active development sites, if left unguarded and unfenced, pose acute risks — particularly in densely populated residential neighbourhoods where children have easy access. Notably, the Dwarka golf course site, despite being under active development, appears to have had no effective barrier preventing entry. Authorities have not yet commented on whether the site met mandatory safety standards. As investigation continues, the focus is expected to shift toward accountability for site security lapses.