Lives of children, in particular the children of labourers working at various brick factories in Bhaktapur, have been put at risk with pits dug haphazardly in the vicinity. 

Ten days ago, a three-year-old child drowned in a ditch on the premises of a brick factory at Sipadole. 

Each brick factory digs at least 20 pits up to 20 feet deep to store water for making bricks, but they are left open putting the children at risk. According to the Metropolitan Police Range, Bhaktapur, 17 children drowned in such pits in the area in the past three years. 

Police said breach of the agreement reached between the District Administration Office and owners of brick industries in the area on making it mandatory to guard such pits with barbed wires or any other means has made the matters worse. 

A meeting led by the then Chief District Officer Tej Prasad Poudel earlier this year had asked owners of brick factories in the area to build fences around such pits to prevent accidents. 

However, no brick factories have honoured the agreement, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasain.

Chairman of the Bhaktapur Brick Entrepreneurs Association Natibhai Hyamba said the association has already ordered all brick factories in the area to make such pits safe, claiming that some had started guarding the dug ditches.