Hyderabad: The usually deserted fields and roads of Manchal village in Ranga Reddy district suddenly became crowded Sunday as hundreds of people with prayers on their lips and officials as rescue operators tried to rescue four-year-old Girija from a bore well.
Girija’s father G. Ailaiah, a tailor from Patelguda, and her grandparents Nagaiah and Ailamma were seen extremely worried. They often broke down, but expressed confidence in the rescue team.
Girija’s six-year-old brother Charan, who saw the fall, is traumatised. But, he believes that his sister is alive. When little Girija started walking on the field to find a place to answer the call of nature she did not see the borewell as the field was covered with cotton plants. “She walked forward as I sat under the tree. Suddenly, I saw her disappearing with a cry,” said Charan.
Nagaiah and Ailamma were working in their field and the kids were playing in the adjacent plot belonging to their relative Bashaiah. Since six months had passed after the bore well was abandoned Ailamma had forgotten about it.
Two years ago, a tragedy struck the family, as Girija's mother Sunitha set herself ablaze. Since then, the kids were brought up by their grandmother. Their father Ailaiah lives a few km away from the area in Patel Nagar and visits them often. “I believe that she is alive and will be safely taken out by the rescue team,” he said.
Meanwhile, villagers said that there are some more bore wells in nearby fields and that they should be filled up soon to avoid tragedies.
Meanwhile Rescue team digs 30 feet
The rescue teams are continuing their efforts to rescue Girija. “The rescue teams are working at a brisk pace. Oxygen has been provided to the girl through a pipe while a hole is being dug parallel to the borewell. At 40-foot depth, they will make a tunnel to the borewell and rescue the girl,” said Ranga Reddy district collector N. Sridhar.
The incident occurred at around 10 am. Girija’s brother Charan who was sitting near the spot, saw her fall and alerted his grandmother. By evening the NDRF reached the spot. By 9 pm, the rescue team had dug nearly 30 feet and two cylinders of oxygen, of 2,000 litres each, had been given.
Unfortunately, the State Disaster Response and Fire Services' high-end Rescue Locate System, which has a camera and microphone attached, could not ascertain the condition of the girl since she was deeper than the equipment could reach.
Manchal police said that the land belonged to the victim's relative M. Bashaiah who had abandoned the borewell six months ago, as it did not yield enough water. Police is likely to book a case against him for negligence.
Girija, an LKG student, had been living with her grandparents in Manchala village for the last two years as her mother, G. Sunitha, had committed suicide. "She went to the field since it was Sunday. I was supposed to meet her today afternoon," said her father Mr Ailaiah, who was in shock.
