Meerut: Woman Claims Child Fell Long-Clogged Drain To Force 3-Hour Cleaning Operation in Uttar Pradesh (Watch Video)
A woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district reportedly triggered a massive three-hour emergency response on Monday, February 2, by falsely claiming that a child had fallen into a heavily clogged open drain. The incident, which took place near Naveen Mandi in the TP Nagar area, saw police and municipal teams deploy heavy machinery to search for the victim.
Lucknow, February 4: A woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district reportedly triggered a massive three-hour emergency response on Monday, February 2, by falsely claiming that a child had fallen into a heavily clogged open drain. The incident, which took place near Naveen Mandi in the TP Nagar area, saw police and municipal teams deploy heavy machinery to search for the victim. While no child was found, the intensive search operation resulted in the thorough cleaning of a drain that residents claim had been neglected for years.
The alarm was raised when the woman, identified in local reports as Geeta, approached authorities claiming she had seen a child collecting bottles near the edge before disappearing into the murky water. Responding to the high-stakes emergency, TP Nagar Police Station Inspector Arun Mishra and other officials personally entered the drain to coordinate the search. The operation involved three JCB machines and a large team of municipal workers who spent hours desilting and clearing obstacles to ensure no one was trapped beneath the surface. Meerut: Scorpio Driver Attempts to Run Over Worker at Shiwaya Toll Plaza, Case Registered After CCTV Video Goes Viral.
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As the news spread, senior officials including the SP (City) Ayush Vikram and the Municipal Commissioner arrived at the scene. Workers meticulously combed through a one-kilometer stretch of the drain, removing layers of sludge and garbage that had accumulated over time. Police also conducted door-to-door inquiries in nearby slums to identify any missing children, but no families reported a disappearance.
By Tuesday morning, February 2, authorities concluded that the report was a hoax. The search was officially called off after eight hours of combined efforts, leaving the previously overflowed and stagnant drain completely clear of debris. Digital Voyeurism: From The '19-Minute Viral Video' Leak to Delhi-Meerut RRTS MMS Scandal, What Our Search History Reveals About Us.
The incident has sparked a heated debate on social media, with many viewing the woman’s actions as a desperate "masterstroke" to address civic negligence. Local residents alleged that the drain had been a source of foul odor and health hazards for months, yet repeated complaints to the municipal corporation had yielded no results.
"What years of requests couldn't do, a three-hour 'emergency' accomplished," noted one social media user, highlighting the irony of the situation. However, police officials warned that such hoaxes divert critical resources and could delay responses to genuine life-threatening emergencies.
The Meerut police have characterized the incident as a "misunderstanding" or a rumor rather than a criminal conspiracy, though they are monitoring the situation to prevent similar false alarms. While the "missing child" never existed, the "before and after" images of the clean drain have gone viral, serving as a stark commentary on the state of urban infrastructure maintenance in the region.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 04, 2026 10:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).