Open recharge well endangers children

 It seems civic authorities have turned a blind eye to the danger of children falling into open wells and borewells. In New Thippasandra, a 20-foot-deep open recharge well lies uncovered in a children’s playground.

With hundreds of students from a nearby school and the locals using the playground, this is a disaster waiting to happen. 

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had dug the recharge well to improve the water table. But movement of heavy vehicles that had come to dump materials for a function on Saturday, damaged the well’s concrete cover, leaving a gaping hole. Days after, it remains dangerously exposed to schoolchildren, busy playing football, cricket and other games in close proximity.
The ground is used by the students of Sishu Griha Montessori and High School.

Mohan Kumar, a parent, told Deccan Herald that the Palike had completed construction of the recharge well for rainwater harvesting on the playground last week.

Shoddy work

“They made several pits and covered them with concrete slabs. There are many
children using this playground everyday, with the damaged pit just lying around, it can easily become a death-trap for these children. BBMP is careless about the contractor’s shoddy work, no one is bothered about the children,” he complained.

It is learnt that the Sishu Griha School management too had complained to the civic authorities. But the Palike is yet to attend to the work.

Ironically, the BBMP official concerned appeared clueless about the existence of the pit.
P N John, executive engineer, BBMP (East), said he was not aware of the damaged recharge well.

“Just last week we created this well, the contractor is yet to finish the work. There was some function organised by the local MLA on Saturday. With heavy vehicles passing on these recharge wells, the pressure on the lid might have damaged the pit. Normally, the well is constructed with 20 feet depth, a proper mesh covering the pit and a cement lid. We will ensure that the work is completed by Thursday,” John added.