The survey is being conducted by the personnel of Block Development Panchayat Office (BDPO) under the supervision of SDMs concerned (File)
THREE DAYS after four members of a family died when they were trying to rescue a man from a well at Baknaur village, the Ambala administration on Tuesday ordered a survey of wells in 486 villages which fall in the district.
Instructions to this effect were issued by Ambala Deputy Commissioner Sharandeep Kaur Brar.
The survey is being conducted by the personnel of Block Development Panchayat Office (BDPO) under the supervision of SDMs concerned, including those of Ambala, Naraingarh and Barara.
The authorities have started the process to cover all the dysfunctional water wells, including the one in which four people died on October 21.
DC Brar said, “We are examining two aspects related to all the water wells situated in 486 villages. First: how many water wells are situated on personal land. Second: how many water wells are situated on shamlat (panchayat) land. The wells, which are situated in private properties, will be covered by the individuals. And the wells situated on panchayat lands will be covered by the local administration. The out-of-use water well in which four family members lost their lives, is on the panchayat land and it will be covered within days. The administration had issued grants to some of the panchayats for covering the wells. I have sought a report of all the wells within 15 days.”
Parwinder Singh, a local resident and a relative of the victims, said, “Today, I received a call from a government officer informing me that the well will be covered as soon as possible.” There are a total of seven wells at Baknaur village; two of these wells are temporarily covered with wood planks.
On October 21, four people — Army jawan Malkit Singh, his brother Shalinder Singh and two nephews Komal Kumar and Soni — died and one Sanjeev Kumar, alias Sonu, survived.
The Ambala administration decided to release Rs 1 lakh compensation to immediate relatives of all four victims under the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Durghtana Sahayta Yojna, an accident insurance scheme of the state government.