Drilling underway at Nadukattupatti near Manapparai on Monday as a last ditch attempt to rescue two-year-old Sujith Wilson who has been trapped in an abandoned borewell since October 25.
A borewell rig was deployed to cut through the rock after a firefighter from the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Service inspected the hole which is being dug to reach two-year-old Sujith Wilson who fell into an abandoned borewel l near his residence in Nadukattupatti near Manapparai on Friday evening.
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As the drilling rig had taken over 24 hours to drill the 45-foot-deep hole, a team of experts requested for a rock cutting borewell rig with 1750 horsepower. The rig would be able to dig 30-35 feet in an hour, officials said. They plan to dig three of these holes next to each other to increase the diameter.
Before deploying it, the Fire and Rescue Service team member entered the pit to inspect it.
Earlier on Monday, a second drill rig, with twice the force as the first one brought from Ariyalur, was deployed around 2 a.m. But this too could not make rapid progress in drilling through the hard rock at the site. The machine, owned by Larsen & Toubro and sent from Ramanathapuram, is 100-foot tall and can drill with a force of about 350 Newtons. The machine was supposed to drill through at least one foot per hour.
The two drills have reached a total depth of 40 feet till Monday morning. The authorities plan to drill a hole to a depth of 110 feet and then drill a tunnel to the borewell to launch a manned rescue operation.
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The decision to dig a passage adjacent to the well to reach the boy was made after several attempts by experts across the State for more than 24 hours failed. Officials of the National Disaster Response Force, the Neyveli Lignite Corporation, and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation are now supervising the operation.
Speaking to The Hindu , Saravana Kumar, Deputy Director, Fire and Rescue Service, South Zone, leading the 200 members of the Fire and Rescue team at the location said that the drilling process was taking longer than expected. “Once the drill hits a layer of soil under the hard rock, it would be much easier. But the process to reach it is proving to be difficult,” he said.
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The teeth on the drill bit is becoming blunt and the operators have to take it out every once in a while and weld it.
Earlier in the night, Deputy Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam visited the spot and inspected the rescue efforts. He also met the parents of the boy and reassured them.
He told reporters that the State government would take active steps to ensure such incidents did not occur again. “A survey to identify all abandoned borewells will be carried out and they will be closed, especially in small towns and villages. Awareness programmes will also be regularly conducted,” he said.
Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said on Monday morning that they were now exploring alternative options.
A glimpse from the rescue operations at Manapparai, Tiruchi
“We did not anticipate that the rock would be so hard. Even the high-powered rigs have struggled to break through the rock. We have just reached about 40 feet and the work has not progressed as planned. We have sought an advanced drill bit from Chennai and it will come soon. That will be an ultimate attempt, " he said.
Dr. Vijayabaskar said they have to review the process now. “Discussions are on with the NDRF. the SDRF, the Commissioner of Revenue Administration, doctors and experts. We are also talking to the parents. We have reached a stage where we have to take a decision now,” he said and added the decision would be taken soon.
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Printable version | Apr 2, 2022 11:04:30 am | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/boy-trapped-in-borewell-two-drills-reach-depth-of-40-feet-in-bid-to-rescue-two-year-old-sujith-wilson/article61969960.ece