BAGALKOT: The father of a six-year-old trapped in a borewell has stunned rescuers by appealing to them to stop their operations.
Hanamant Hatti, reeling under the shock of his son Thimmanna falling into an open borewell on Sunday, now fears his seven-acre land — his only source of livelihood — will be completely destroyed if the rescue operations continue.
He spoke to P C Gaddigoudar, MP, about his dilemma on Tuesday. Admitted to the Bagalkot District Hospital for dehydration earlier in the day, he sobbed that he had no hopes of his son being alive.
“Please don’t dig up the land and lay it to waste. I have to take care of two daughters and my family,” he pleaded.
S R Patil, minister in charge of the district, said the rescue operations were meant to protect the child and not to bankrupt his father. Deputy Commissioner P A Meghannavar remained optimistic about rescuing Thimmanna. Manikanthan, a robotics expert, arriving from Tamil Nadu, could play a decisive role in the rescue efforts, he said.
“I spoke to him on Sunday. We will provide all support to him,” Meghannavar told Express. However, he said, he had no information about Hatti’s appeal to end the digging and stop rescue operations.
Diggers at Work
The operation to rescue Thimmanna continued for the third day on Tuesday.
The Hutti Gold Mines Ltd (HGML), Helpline and others in the rescue team have deployed five excavators round the clock. Police are struggling to control the crowds thronging the spot in Badami taluk. Minister for Women and Child Development Umashree met Thimmanna’s family on Tuesday.
When robot expert Manjegouda’s efforts failed, the Helpline team from Sangli continued its efforts on Tuesday.
A municipal vehicle is trying to suck out the earth on the child. Gold mine employees told Express the present one-and-a-half-inch pipe would be replaced with a two-inch pipe to vacuum out the soil before the operations were handed over to Manikanthan.
The expert needs to see a human form inside the well to begin the operations, they said. The miners said digging 160-170 feet calls for four to five days. In two days, the rescuers have reached 60 ft.
Basavaraj Hiremath of Helpline said his team would continue the operations.