Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): It took 11 precious lives in one go and subsequent national level headlines for Lal Pathar village in Vidisha district to finally get a hand pump.
For decades, the people of this village in Ganj Basoda tehsil were drawing water from the ill-fated well, and simultaneously slogging for a hand pump. The only well at the village caving in leading to the tragedy on Thursday night caused a serious water crisis at the village. Eleven villagers were killed and many injured when they fell into a well while attempting to rescue a boy who had fallen into it.Notably, the boy who accidently fell into the well first after which villagers assembled at the well and many of them became victims of the tragedy had gone to the well to fetch water.
The days following the tragedy, the villagers approached neighbouring areas for water, however, no help came from anywhere. Finally on Sunday, the administration swung into action and began the process of installing a hand pump in the village.
Shivraj Singh Dangi, a resident of Lal Pathar, said, “Administration is installing a hand pump in our village. Now, we too will be able to get water from a hand pump. We were fetching water from a well for decades. However, after the Thursday well tragedy, people had no other source of potable water.”
SHO Summi Desai, said that earlier there used to exist a grit mine on the site and two people had died in the mine when it caved in. Later a well was dug on the site and villagers used to draw water from it, now following the tragic Thursday accident, the administration has installed a hand pump in the village, said SHO. Eleven villagers were killed and many injured when they fell into a well while attempting to rescue a boy who had fallen into it.
