Taking cognizance of a representation by two advocates’ on the death of a seven-year-old girl after she was trapped inside a borewell in Karur, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Friday issued notice to the State Government to respond on the need to obtain prior permission for sinking a deep borewell in Tamil Nadu.
Citing newspaper reports over the death of Muthulakshmi, a girl who was trapped in a borewell in Karur, advocates A Uthaman and S Muthukumar, made representation to Justices N Paul Vasanthakumar and P Devadoss of the High Court Bench seeking direction to the secretary of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department and the Commissioner of Municipal Administration, the Collector Karur and the Karur Municipality Commissioner to ensure that borewells and wells should be dug adhering to all safety measures laid down by the government.
They also said that the landowners have been digging six to eight inch borewells up to a depth of 800 feet. If farmers do not find water even after digging up to a certain depth, they leave it open without taking any precautions to cover them. This has resulted in the death of many children who fell into these uncovered borewells accidentally over the last 20 years, the advocates said.
The advocates also requested the bench to direct the State government to grant compensation to the family of Muthulakshmi who died after falling into a borewell on April 28, 2013.
They said that the State government should be asked to make it mandatory for borewell diggers to follow safety measures including obtaining proper permission from the competent authorities and carry out works under the supervision of the district administration and police.
The district administration and police should also directly supervise the work, said the advocates.
The Bench issued notice to government officials named in the representation.