A three-year-old girl, Chetna, who fell into a 700-foot borewell in Rajasthan’s Kotputli on December 23, tragically passed away shortly after being rescued following a 10-day-long operation. The child was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors confirmed she was unresponsive upon arrival.
Dr. Chetanya Rawat, the medical officer overseeing the case, stated, “She was brought to the emergency room for immediate examination. Despite the doctors’ efforts, she was declared deceased, and her body was later transferred to the morgue. A postmortem examination has been conducted as per orders.”
The Incident
Chetna had been playing near the borewell in Kiratpura village’s Badiyali ki Dhani when she accidentally fell in. Her family, hearing her cries, quickly discovered her predicament and alerted authorities. The state and national Disaster Relief Forces, along with medical teams, promptly launched a rescue operation.
Efforts to rescue Chetna were fraught with challenges, as the borewell tilted at a certain depth, complicating the operation. Rescue teams provided oxygen to the child through a pipe and began digging a parallel tunnel. However, initial attempts proved unsuccessful, with errors in the tunnel’s alignment further delaying the rescue.
The Rescue Operation
After repeated setbacks, experts from Delhi and Jaipur Metro were brought in to assist. The rescue team expanded the tunnel width from the initially planned 8 feet to 12 feet to expedite the process. Despite their relentless efforts, the child’s condition deteriorated in the final hours, as oxygen and food could not be supplied to her.
Chetna was finally rescued on the evening of January 1, but the ordeal had taken a fatal toll.
Community Reactions and Warnings
Chetna’s grandfather, Dayaram, commended the administration and rescue teams for their tireless work in harsh winter conditions. He also emphasized the need for stricter regulations to prevent such tragedies, urging authorities to cover open borewells to ensure safety.
Collector Kalpana Agarwal acknowledged the operational challenges posed by the borewell’s tilt and stated that lessons from this incident would guide future rescue protocols.
The tragedy has reignited debates on open borewell safety across India, as similar incidents continue to claim young lives.
A Heartbreaking Loss
Chetna’s death has left the community in mourning, marking a grim start to the new year. Her story serves as a somber reminder of the urgent need for stricter borewell regulations to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
Sources By Agencies
