Agra: Two-and-a-half-year-old Sonu, who fell into a 150-foot-deep borewell near here while playing, has been trapped inside for the past 24 hours. Rescue operations continued through Thursday night without any concrete results.

Sonu has so far not responded to calls or shown any sign of activity.

Soldiers of the Indian Army led by Captain Rajesh and a team of doctors along with district officials are continuing the rescue operation in Leharkapura village near Agra.

The administration has provided excavators, flood lights and a large posse of policemen.

”A parallel pit is being dug, oxygen is being supplied through a pipeline, district officials, including the district magistrate Anil Kumar and a team of doctors, are camping at the site,” Senior Superintendent of Police Raghuvir Lal said.

Anil Kumar said that the rescue operation will be over by Friday evening. More experts and machines have been put on the job.

Meanwhile, neighbours and local politicians are blaming officials for having left the mouth of the borewell wide open Thursday morning.

While Sushil Kumar, superintending engineer of the local water supply board (Jal Nigam) has ordered an inquiry, local residents are asking no action has been taken against Jal Nigam engineers or the contractor who reportedly left the wellmouth open following a dispute with the engineers.

A few months ago a little girl, Vandana, had fallen into a borewell in Saiyan block of Agra district. She was pulled out to safety after a gruelling 24-hour operation by the army.

"Even in Vandana's case around Holi this year, no follow up investigations were carried out," said angry neighbour Sukh Ram.

"Many people had made big promises of financial help after Vandana was rescued but no one now even remembers her and no help has come from any quarter," says Vandana's father.

 

Source : IANS