Tragedy at Yamuna Bank Park: Faulty Gate Kills 17-Year-Old Girl, Exposes Deep Rot in PMC-Contractor Nexus
By BKSingh
Prayagraj – In a heart-wrenching incident that has sent shockwaves across the city, a 17-year-old girl, Amanaya Gupta, lost her life after a recently constructed gate collapsed on her during a morning walk at the newly inaugurated Yamuna Bank Park.
The tragic death has once again drawn attention to the menacing pattern of substandard construction and institutional negligence, allegedly fueled by deep-rooted collusion between contractors and municipal officials.
Amanaya, a Class 11 student and the youngest of five siblings, had gone for her routine morning walk in the park on Wednesday morning with her sisters.
But as they were leaving, the main gate of the park, built under the Mahakumbh project and inaugurated barely six weeks ago, came crashing down on her. She suffered critical head injuries and was rushed to SRN Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Her father, Umeshchandra Gupta, a retired employee of the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC), has now filed a formal complaint at the Kydganj police station, accusing both the PMC and the contractor of gross negligence and criminal liability.
A Death Foretold: When Civic Apathy Kills
What makes the tragedy more unforgivable is the fact that the gate had already collapsed two weeks prior, injuring another person.
Locals say a youth had sustained a fractured shoulder in that incident, but instead of undertaking proper repairs, slum dwellers living nearby were forced to tie the gate up with wire and rope — an unofficial, makeshift fix that symbolized the apathy and irresponsibility of the authorities.
“The contractor washed his hands of the damage, and PMC officials never even inspected the repair. Everyone knew the gate was unstable. We feared something terrible could happen — and it did,” said a resident, furious over the authorities’ inaction.
Inaugurated with Fanfare, Built with Flaws
The Yamuna Bank Park, constructed by the PMC as part of the city’s beautification efforts under the Mahakumbh 2025 initiative, was inaugurated on April 26 by Mayor Umeshchandra Ganesh Kesarwani.
Like many government projects showcased for public relations, the park was opened in a hurry, with little concern for structural integrity or long-term safety.
Now, just weeks after its ceremonial opening, its very infrastructure has turned lethal, raising serious questions about the quality of materials used, supervision of work, and the role of corrupt officials who allegedly sign off on incomplete or shoddy construction in exchange for favours or kickbacks.
The Unseen Cost of Corruption
This is not an isolated incident. Across cities, poorly executed civic projects continue to endanger public lives. The recurring collapse of walls, gates, footbridges, and roads points to a systemic failure where accountability is rarely fixed, and lives are treated as expendable.
A source within the civic department, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The rot runs deep. Contractors use substandard materials, but because they’re in cahoots with officials, inspections are just a formality.”
SHO Sanjay Kumar Singh, who is heading the investigation, confirmed that a complaint has been lodged and action will follow based on the findings. “We have taken the matter seriously and will proceed with legal action after the probe,” he added.
A Grieving Family, An Avoidable Death
Amanaya’s father, still in shock, expressed disbelief that a park project he once took pride in as a former PMC employee has now taken away his daughter.
“My daughter died not because of fate, but because some people chose profit over safety,” he said through tears.
As the family prepares for her last rites, the city mourns not just the loss of a young, promising life, but the death of trust in a public system that prioritizes ribbon cuttings over real safety.
