By IANS,
New Delhi : India’s apex child rights panel has sought a report from the water resources ministry on abandoned borewells that have turned into death traps for children like Mahi, a four-year-old girl found dead Sunday in a Haryana borewell.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) wrote to the ministry Friday, two days after Mahi fell in the 70-feet deep borewell at the Manesar IMT in Haryana.
“The report shall include the actions taken for the enforcement of the Supreme Court directions on prevention of fatal accidents of small children from falling into abandoned borewells and tubewells,” said NCPCR chief Shantha Sinha.
The letter sought to know the status on the compliance by the states of the apex court directions.
“An action taken report may be sent to the NCPCR within 15 days,” the letter said.
In a letter to Haryana chief secretary, the NCPCR sought to know if the Supreme Court guidelines had been followed in the case of the borewell in which Mahi fell to death.
The panel also wanted to know if any violation was found in this case and action was taken by the state.
The apex court guidelines include measures such as informing area residents about any such borewell being dug up days ahead of the task, mandatory registration of drilling agencies, putting up of signboards near the drilling location and fencing around the well during construction, among others.
The NCPCR sent a copy of the letter to chief secretaries of all states, asking them to forward the letter to district collectors.