Abandoned well claims toddler’s life

Hyderabad: An abandoned borewell claimed yet another life in Telangana State with the efforts to rescue a trapped two-year-old girl in Nalgonda district proving futile on Tuesday. The body of Varikoppula Shanvi was retrieved from the borewell at Vallala village in Shaligouaram mandal in Nalgonda district. The girl on Monday evening fell into the 150-feet-deep pit while playing in a lemon orchard where her parents were working to renovate an open well.

The rescue workers dug a parallel pit to rescue the child, who was stuck at about 30 feet. The 12-hour long operation failed as the girl died long before she could be rescued. This is the second incident in less than three months in the state. A three-year-old boy fell in a borewell and died in Medak district in November last.

In a similar incident in Nalgonda district in August last, a four-year-old boy had died. Telangana's Panchayat Raj Minister K. Tarakarama Rao expressed shock over the latest incident. He directed officials to ensure that all abandoned and dry borewell are capped to prevent such tragedies.

The minister also asked officials to take action against the owner of the orchard, who did not cover the borewell, leading to the tragedy. Child rights' activists say the government failed to implement guidelines issued by the Supreme Court last year to fill or cap all abandoned and dry borewells.