The case of a 15-month-old boy accidentally falling into a 17-metre-deep defunct borewell in Lachyan village in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district last week was shocking despite the child being rescued after a 21-hour operation by state and national forces. It’s shocking because although such incidents have occurred at regular intervals, no lesson seems to have been learned by the authorities. According to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), since 2009, at least 40 deaths have occurred across India from children falling into borewells negligently left open. Each of these incidents attracted nationwide attention and anxiety. But the NDRF points out that up to 70 percent of such rescue operations end in failure, considering the complexities involved in extricating the children alive from these death-traps.
The issue begs urgent attention, especially now. The mercury is rising and the worsening water scarcity is raising the demand for more borewells to be dug in addition to the estimated 3.3 crore borewells that exist in India. As the water table is dropping, hinterland borewells are dug deeper than before to reach the groundwater. It makes them even more dangerous if left abandoned and open. The lack of a systematic regulatory and safety protocols begs an urgent involvement of district administrations, including panchayat development officers, tahsildars and deputy commissioners to strictly enforce the closing of such borewells to prevent deaths among children.
Before and after borewells are dug, they need to be brought to the notice of the authorities, and regular reminders need to be issued to the landowners to ensure that the borewells are securely capped or closed for the safety of locals. The authorities need to strictly ensure that children are not allowed to play close to them. Abandoned, open borewells often get covered by foliage, camouflaging them in the process. Playing children fail to notice them and end up falling into these death-traps. The negligence in following safety protocols regarding defunct open borewells needs to attract hefty penalties that can act as a prohibitory mechanism and encourage safety measures.
Landowners, parents as well as authorities need to approach this problem with utmost urgency considering its life-threatening consequences. They need to understand that precious little lives cannot be nipped in the bud by sheer negligence.