Girl falls into 400-ft borewell in Belagavi

 A six-year-old girl accidentally fell into a discarded borewell which had been left open without any protective covering at Jhunjurwad village,  Athani taluk in Belagavi district on Saturday evening. 

Kaveri Ajit Madar, a resident of Jhunjurwad village, accidentally fell into the borewell when she was playing with her friends near the borewell. It had been discarded for two months after the casing pipe was removed, the villagers stated.

It is said that the girl was stuck at a depth of around 30 feet in the 400-foot-deep borewell that had been reportedly drilled by the Minor Irrigation department on the farmland of one Shankar Hippargi.

Kaveri fell into the well at around 5 pm and cried for help. Another girl playing with her informed the latter’s parents about the incident. But Kaveri’s parents were unable to rescue the child. Even as the incident came to light, the villagers thronged the spot.

Aigali police and the Fire personnel rushed to the spot and took precautionary measures to prevent people from venturing near the well.

Officials of Fire and Emergency Services and the Revenue department, including Chikkodi Sub-Division Assistant Commissioner Geeta Koulagi, rushed to the village to inspect the rescue operation which had commenced.

Deputy Commissioner N Jayaram who was on the way to the village said medical teams have reached the spot with medical kits and oxygen cylinders. A disaster response team from Hyderabad too has been summoned to the rescue the girl.

Jayaram, SP B R Ravikantegowda and other senior officials also rushed to the spot. Ravikantegowda said according to primary information, the incident took place when the children were collecting firewood.