The Gurgaon administration on Monday announced a reward of Rs 500 and a commendation certificate for anyone who gives information on the location of open borewells in the district.
The decision comes after a meeting of District Advisory Committee on borewells,which was presided over by Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner (DC) P C Meena on Monday. The meeting was prompted by the death of five-year-old Mahi,who had fallen into an open borewell in Kho village,Manesar,on June 20.
Meanwhile,taking suo motu cognisance Mahi’s death,the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday ordered the Haryana government to furnish details of the measures taken to prevent such incidents.
The High Court said the Haryana government had failed to implement the Supreme Court’s 2010 guidelines against digging of borewells. The High Court has also asked the state government to file a detailed reply on the matter on the next date of hearing,August 21.
Gurgaon DC Meena said officers concerned will face strict action even if a single open borewell is found in their jurisdiction. Officers have been
directed to give a certificate within a week,stating that there were no
open borewells in their
jurisdiction.
Meena asked officers to get a survey of open borewells/tubewells conducted and to get these filled up to ground-level.
The High Court orders were passed by a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh after treating a note by Justice M M S Bedi as a public interest litigation.
The note read,…blatant violations of apex court directions is apparent from the incident and it warrants a suo motu initiative by the HC to protect the life and liberty of the citizens and action is required to direct the state authorities to perform statutory duty and follow SC guidelines.
Justice Bedi also recommended that the Haryana government should furnish details about the status
of borewells/tubewells found open in Haryana and how many of these were filled up.
In August 2010,the Supreme Court had issued directions against abandoned borewells and deputy commissioners of the concerned districts were authorised to keep a tab on such borewells.
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