VELLORE: Waking up to the lurking dangers of open wells along roadsides after a share-auto plunged into a 100-foot deep well at Vinayagapuram village killing seven persons, the police and revenue department officials have decided to conduct a survey and list out the uncovered and abandoned surface-level wells, which do not have parapet walls. In a tragic incident, seven persons including two boys aged 11 and 16 were killed, while one person managed to escape with minor injuries. In another incident in Tirupattur, a 27-year-old cyclist named Madhankumar of Jamanapudur colony, accidently fell into a well and drowned in it. Sensing the lurking danger of uncovered and unprotected wells without any signboards indicating danger to alert road users, the police department has decided to list out such wells to bring in some safety measures. “I have directed the DSPs in the district to conduct a survey in their jurisdiction to make a list of such dangerous sites (wells and pits) located adjacent to the panchayat, national and state highways with the help of the revenue department. I have asked the officers to complete the survey within a week,” Superintendent of Police A Kayalvizhi told Express.After compiling the data, the department would ask the local administration and the owners of both live wells and abandoned wells to construct strong parapet walls measuring more than five feet. “The presence of strong walls will prevent vehicles from falling into the wells and also avoid the loss of life,” she added.Kannan, owner of the well which turned into a watery grave for the seven persons, has been booked under 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) of Indian Penal Code. The SP said that similar cases would be booked under the owners of the wells who failed to construct walls around the well that is located near the roadside.District Collector Ajay Yadav said that the administration already has details of the number of wells in the district and has directed the officials to find out the number of unprotected wells along the roadside. “The district administration is ready to divert funds from the general fund to construct walls for the wells to avert such accidents,” said the Collector.
Comments
0 comment