The Apex Court has issued requisite guidelines vide order dated 11th February 2010, subject to slight modification mentioned as follows on the measures to fatal accidents due to children falling in dug bore wells and tube wells.
(i) Notification about the Construction: The owner of the land/premises, before taking any steps for constructing bore well/ tube well must inform in writing at least 15 days in advance to the concerned authorities in the area, i.e., District Collector/ District Magistrate/Sarpanch of the Gram Panchayat/any other Statutory Authority/concerned officers of the Department of Ground Water/Public Health/ Municipal Corporation, as the case may be, about the construction of bore well/tube well.
(ii) Registration of all the drilling agencies: These includes namely, Government/Semi Government/Private etc. should be mandatory with the district administration/Statutory Authority wherever applicable.
(iii) Erection of signboard at the time of construction: This should be done near the well with the following details:-
(a) Complete address of the drilling agency at the time of construction/rehabilitation of well.
(b) Complete address of the user agency/owner of the well.
(iv) Barbed Wires: Erection of barbed wire fencing or any other suitable barrier around the well during construction.
(v) Construction of cement/concrete platform: Measuring 0.50×0.50×0.60 meter (0.30 meter above ground level and 0.30 meter below ground level) around the well casing.
(vi) Capping of Well assembly: By welding steel plate or by providing a strong cap to be fixed to the casing pipe with bolts & nuts.
(vii) Pump repair: In the case of pump repair, the tube well should not be left uncovered.
(viii) Filling of mud pits and channels: After completion of works, these would be covered.
(ix) Filling up abandoned borewells: By clay/sand/boulders/pebbles/drill cuttings etc. from bottom to ground level.
(x) Restoration of Ground Conditions: On completion of the drilling operations at a particular location, the ground conditions are to be restored as before the start of drilling.
(xi) Empowerment of the District Collector: District Collector should be empowered to verify that the above guidelines are being followed and proper monitoring check about the status of boreholes/tube wells are being taken care through the concerned State/Central Government agencies.
(xii) Status Report on Wells: District/Block/Village wise status of bore wells/tube wells drilled viz. No. of wells in use, No. of abandoned bore wells/tube wells found open, No. of abandoned borewells/tube wells properly filled up to ground level and balance number of abandoned borewells/tube wells to be filled up to ground level is to be maintained at District Level. In rural areas, the monitoring of the above is to be done through Village Sarpanch and the Executive from the Agriculture Department. In a case of urban areas, the monitoring of the above is to be done through Junior Engineer and the Executive from the concerned Department of Ground Water/Public Health/Municipal Corporation etc.
(xiii) Certificate of Concerned Department for Abandoned Wells: If a borewell/tubewell is ‘Abandoned’ at any stage, a certificate from the concerned department of Ground Water/Public health/Municipal Corporation/Private contractor etc. must be obtained by the aforesaid agencies that the ‘Abandoned’ borewell/tubewell is properly filled up to the ground level. Random inspection of the abandoned wells is also to be done by the Executive of the concerned agency/department. Information on all such data on the above is to be maintained in the District Collector/Block Development Office of the State.
REFERENCES
1. WRIT PETITION (C) NO.36 OF 2009 : In Re: Measures for Prevention of fatal accidents of small children due to falling into abandoned bore & tube wells and Union of India and Ors. …Respondent(s)
