Lok Sabha Question No. 458 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-01
Subject: Borewell Related Cases
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: G. HARI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 458

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 1ST  DECEMBER, 2015/AGRAHAYANA 10, 1937 (SAKA)

## BOREWELL RELATED CASES

458. SHRI G. HARI:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that borewells are continuing to be death traps in the country;
- (b) the total number of cases related to borewells reported during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps to make it mandatory to close  down  the  borewells  which  are  not  in  use  or  keep  them  properly blocked; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (b): National  Crime  Records  Bureau  (NCRB)  has  started  collecting data on cases reported and  persons injured & died due to fall into bore well since  2014.   Hence  no  comparison  can  be  made  on  increase/decrease  in deaths due to fall in bore well. A total of 50 Persons died due to fall into bore well in the country during 2014. State/UT wise cases reported and persons died due to fall in bore well during 2014 is enclosed at Annexure-I.

(c) to (d): The Government is aware of occurrence of such incidents of small children falling into open bore wells. The Hon'ble Supreme Court has directed all  the  States  &  UTs  through  Orders  dated  11th  February,  2010  and  6th August, 2010, to take preventive actions on cases of children falling in bore wells as per Annexure-II.

## LS.U.Q.No. 458 for 01.12.2015

The  State  Governments  of  Andhra  Pradesh,  Assam,  Himachal  Pradesh, Jammu  &  Kashmir,  Karnataka,  Kerala,  Maharashtra,  Madhya  Pradesh, Rajasthan,  Orissa,  Tamil  Nadu,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Haryana,  and  West  Bengal have issued instructions to the concerned agencies to adopt safety measures  such  as  the  closure  of  abandoned  wells  after  filling  and  also making of provision to cap them. Further, the landowners before taking up any construction works must inform the concerned authorities. Further, the Ministry  of  Water  Resources  had  taken  steps  for  preventing  such  fatal accidents;  look  into  the  legal  and  statutory  measures  available,  action required for preventing such accidents and to suggest other administrative and technical measures for prevention of such accidents.

Further,  'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State  subjects  under  the  Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India and therefore, the State Governments are primarily responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and for prosecuting the criminals through the machinery of their law enforcement agencies as also for protecting the life and property of the citizens.

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## Number of Cases, Persons Injured& Died by Fall into Bore Well during 2014

| Sl. No.              |                      | No. of               | Falls(into Borewell)   | Falls(into Borewell)   | Falls(into Borewell)   | Falls(into Borewell)   | Falls(into Borewell)   | Falls(into Borewell)   | Falls(into Borewell)   | Falls(into Borewell)   |
|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
|                      | State/UT             | Cases                | Male                   | Female                 | Trans- gender          | Total                  | Male                   | Female                 | Trans- gender          | Total                  |
|                      | STATES               |                      |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |
| 1                    | ANDHRA PRADESH       | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      |
| 2                    | ARUNACHAL PRADESH    | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 3                    | ASSAM                | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 4                    | BIHAR                | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      |
| 5                    | CHHATTISGARH         | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 6                    | GOA                  | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 7                    | GUJARAT              | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      |
| 8                    | HARYANA              | 7                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 6                      | 1                      | 0                      | 7                      |
| 9                    | HIMACHAL PRADESH     | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 10                   | JAMMU & KASHMIR      | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 11                   | JHARKHAND            | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 2                      | 1                      | 0                      | 3                      |
| 12                   | KARNATAKA            | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 13                   | KERALA               | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 14                   | MADHYA PRADESH       | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      |
| 15                   | MAHARASHTRA          | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      |
| 16                   | MANIPUR              | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 17                   | MEGHALAYA            | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 18                   | MIZORAM              | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 19                   | NAGALAND             | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 20                   | ODISHA               | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 21                   | PUNJAB               | 3                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 3                      | 0                      | 0                      | 3                      |
| 22                   | RAJASTHAN            | 9                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 5                      | 4                      | 0                      | 9                      |
| 23                   | SIKKIM               | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 24                   | TAMIL NADU           | 8                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 7                      | 1                      | 0                      | 8                      |
| 25                   | TELANGANA            | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 26                   | TRIPURA              | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 27                   | UTTAR PRADESH        | 14                   | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 13                     | 1                      | 0                      | 14                     |
| 28                   | UTTARAKHAND          | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 29                   | WEST BENGAL          | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
|                      | TOTAL (STATES)       | 47                   | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 41                     | 8                      | 0                      | 49                     |
| UNIONTERRITORIES     | UNIONTERRITORIES     | UNIONTERRITORIES     |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |                        |
| 30                   | A & NISLANDS         | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 31                   | CHANDIGARH           | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 32                   | D & N HAVELI         | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 33                   | DAMAN & DIU          | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 34                   | DELHI (UT)           | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      |
| 35                   | LAKSHADWEEP          | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
| 36                   | PUDUCHERRY           | 0                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      |
|                      | TOTAL (UTs)          | 1                    | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      |
| TOTAL (ALL INDIA) 48 | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) 48 | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) 48 | 1                      | 0                      | 0                      | 1                      | 42                     | 8                      | 0                      | 50                     |

## 1page of 1 page of Annexure-II LS.U.Q.No. 458 for 01.12.2015

Safety  measures/guidelines    as  given  in  the  Order  dated  11.02.2010  of Hon'ble Supreme Court are to be observed  by all the States:-

- (i)        'The  owner  of  the  land/premises,  before  taking  any  steps  for construction 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/ 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,  viz.,  Govt./Semi  Govt./ Private etc. should be mandatory with the district administration.
- (iii)        Erection  of  signboard  at  the  time  of  construction  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)     Erection  of  barbed  wire  fencing  or  any  other  suitable  barrier around the well during construction.
- (v)       Construction of cement/concrete platform measuring 0.50x0.50x0.60  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 and nutes.
- (vii)     In case of pump repair, the tube well should not be left uncovered.
- (viii)   Filling of mud pits and channels after completion of works.
- (ix)       Filling  up  abandoned  borewells by clay/sand/boulders/pebbles/drill cuttings etc. from bottom to ground level.

- (x)      On  completion  of  the  drilling  operations  at  a  particular  location, the  ground  conditions  are  to  be  restored  as  before  the  start  of drilling.
- (xi)     District  Collector  should  be  empowered  to  verify  that  the  above guidelines  are  being  followed  and  proper  monitoring  check  about the status of boreholes/tubewells are being taken care through the concerned State/Central Government agencies.
- (xii)      District/Block/Village  wise  status  of  bore  wells/tubewells  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/tubewells  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.
- (xiii)    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 upto the ground level.  Random inspection  of  the  abandoned  wells  is  also  to  be  done  by  the Executive  of  the  concern  agency/department.    Information  on  all such  data  on  the  above  are  to  be  maintained  in  the  District Collector/Block Development Office of the State.

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