CHENNAI: The Chennai Metro Water Board (CMWB) has extended the deadline for registering borewells to November 25.
Days after the death of Sujith Wilson, a two-year-old boy who fell into an open borewell near Tiruchi, the CMWB had set a deadline for registering borewells to November 10 as the last day for residents to submit all details pertaining to borewells in their houses.
In a press release issued on Monday, the board said that due to administrative backlog they were extending the deadline. From today onwards more forms will be made available at all depot offices. A week ago residents complained of shortage of these forms and were forced to wait for long hours to get one.
So far the board has received 200 such applications and given more time so that everyone can register. Residents can either download the form from the metro water website and submit it in the nearest metro water office. Public can also apply through the online process by choosing 'Form XI' through the metro water official website.
If there more than one borewell in a house, the one which is not in use will be converted into a rain water harvesting structure.
The borewell tragedy
The nation’s attention came to a small village near Tiruchy, when Sujith fell into an abandoned borewell and was trapped inside for nearly 82 hours. After various rescue efforts going in vain, the boy’s body was only retrieved in a decomposed and dismembered state.
Following this, top politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressed prayers and condolences. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and DMK President MK Stalin too expressed condolences among other MLAs and MPs from the state.