Years ago, TN Govt mandated sealing unused borewells

Repeat incidents of children falling into abandoned borewells in Tamil Nu h prompted state government to tify rules early in 2015, mandating safety measures, including filling discarded wells upto ground level. As tens of thousands prayed for safe rescue of three-year-old Sujith Wilson, trapped in an unused farm borewell near Tiruchirappalli for over 72 hours, it brought back focus on such uncovered defunct borewells.

After Tamil Nu witnessed such repeat incidents in April 2014, government amended local laws in August that year, including 'Tamil Nu Panchayats Act' to furr regulate sinking of wells and related aspects like its proper maintenance. amendments mandated permission from authorities for sinking wells and its n-compliance, attracting a minimum of three years imprisonment.

After such amendments, government tified 'Tamil Nu Panchayats Rules' and ' TN Municipalities Rules,' both on regulation of sinking of wells and safety measures, in early 2015. Under rms, a permit has to be taken for sinking, deepening or rehabilitation of a well and an application has to be me for grant of certificate of registration to carry on business of sinking wells.

rules on safety aspects mandate that every holder of permit or owner of a well in use or disuse, shall, while sinking, deepening or rehabilitating a well, here to specified rms. It should be ensured that well is t left uncovered during recess or cessation of work. Clause 'd' under he safety measures specifies "fill up abandoned wells upto ground level using clay, sand, boulder or any or suitable materials."

Before commencing work, signboards should be erected in a conspicuous manner at site of well, displaying nature, width and depth of well and name, dress and contact details of owner. rules also mandate that barbed wire fencing or any or suitable barrier be put up around site of well. On such rules mandating safety measures, senior vocate Sudha Ramalingam said though re are laws to govern matter, she alleged "lethargic execution and lack of proper supervision" by competent authorities.

"We wake up only when something of this sort happens and later forget it. re is proper understanding of rules and people are also t cooperative. It may t be prudent to look forward to government to correct things in my compound. It is my duty to see that a defunct borewell in my backyard is properly shut," she told PTI, ding that as a nation "we have very little regard for human lives."

In September 2014, Mras High Court h disposed a PIL plea on abandoned borewells after Tamil Nu government submitted that suitable amendments have been me to enactments to provide for more regulations and stringent punishment. Such incidents have occurred in or parts of country as well, including neighbouring Karnataka, which h years ago said a total of 1,47,786 defunct borewells have been closed in view of mishaps involving children.

In wake of such incidents, Supreme Court h in 2010 directed all states to cap all abandoned borewells in ir territories and to properly fence all working wells to prevent small children falling into m. top court h also directed random inspection of abandoned wells by authorities.