ARE WELL CAVING DEATHS AVOIDABLE?

thrivikramji@gmail.com

By about noon today –this year’s Vishu day, April 15, 11- the sad disappearance
of a well digger into a well due to wall collapse happened in the Moonnam
Puthen Theruvu, Fort, Thrivandrum. The TV channels brought this incident to our
living rooms along with the rescue efforts to save a human life caught under the
debris. Unhesitatingly I will say that this and similar accidents are a shame on us,
especially in this modern world and our society that undergoes modernizing on a
fast track.

The modern science and technology have endowed us with tools and knowledge
that will become handy in avoiding and preventing such and other ghastly
incidents costing innocent lives.

In fact what we need is a D –shallow or say 30 m.-resistivity tomogram of the

land area of the highland and midland on a cadastral scale using the
CARTOSAT-II data base. This program can be easily completed over a period of
say 5 years. Moreover, the lihtologs of currently serving wells (both borewells
and shaft wells) in the state have to go into a data base accessible to the well
digger as well as the well owner, in every nook and corner of the state and either
at the LSG offices/akshaya centers etc. This project can also be implemented
over a period of say 5 years. The scientific ministries of GOI or the planning
commission will be prepared to finance these projects.

Once the shallow subsurface lithological data base is implemented and becomes
functional in the public domain through a variety of channels the data will be
come tangible for the public. When almost all the blocks or villages of the state
have at least a school each, I would imagine that majority of such schools have
some sort of connectivity to internet. If these schools and colleges in the state as
well as the village/Krishi office with internet connectivity will be equipped to offer
this new knowledge on the shallow geological make up to the needy like well
digger or potential owner of a new well.

This will be a much needed service especially to the day worker community and
their families in the state. Such an empowerment will save dozens of lives every
year and perhaps avoid life long penury of the unfortunate families.
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