KRISHNAGIRI: In a tragic incident, a Class 3 student, who slipped and fell into a 15-foot-deep irrigation pond filled with water, and a government school headmaster, who attempted to save the child, both drowned in Eluvapalli in Krishnagiri district on Wednesday. Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed his condolences and announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh each from the CM’s general relief fund.
According to police, the deceased child — identified as eight-year-old M Nithin — was one among around 20 students studying at the Eluvapalli Panchayat Union Primary School located along Bagalur Road. During lunch break, Nithin, along with his brother and other students, was playing near a pond that had been dug for irrigation, when he slipped and fell into it. His brother informed the school headmaster Gowrisankar Raji (53), who jumped into the pond to rescue the child, police said.
Meanwhile, students also informed other teachers and villagers of the incident and they rushed to the spot. However, by then the HM and child had died, police said. The villagers retrieved the bodies and notified the Bagalur police, who sent them to the Hosur Government Hospital for autopsy. A case was registered under BNS and a probe was initiated.
“The pond was dug by a local farmer for watering crops. In these parts, it is common for farmers to create such ponds, place tarpaulin sheets at the bottom — to prevent water from seeping into the ground — and fill them up using borewells. This pond is located on a private property and is over 15 feet deep, filled with water up to 10ft,” police said.
Headmaster and student didn’t know how to swim, say police
Farmers do not usually seek permission to dig such ponds in their own land,” police said. The child, who lived nearby, knew about the pond, police noted. “Due to being layered with tarpaulin sheets, the pond’s walls offer no grip for someone to climb out.
Even seasoned swimmers find it difficult to climb out of such ponds. In this case, both the HM and student did not know swimming, so they drowned,” they added. Further probe is on. Following the incident, District Collector C Dinesh Kumar visited the families of the deceased at their homes and paid his respects.