Day on, man’s body fished out from well by NDRF

Neighbour says friends had ‘dared’ Ravindra Pitle, who did not know how to swim, to jump into the well.

The rescue operation in progress on Monday. ( Express photo )

The body of 26-year-old bus driver Ravindra Pitle, who jumped into a well on Sunday, was extracted Monday afternoon, 24 hours after he drowned, by divers from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The 24-hour-long operation, during which assistance was first sought from the fire brigade, followed by the disaster management team of the civic body, was allegedly delayed after the civic body claimed lack of required equipment and personnel to recover Pitle’s body from the well.

Pitle, a resident of Desai Wadi, Dahisar, had visited a temple in Indira Nagar with his three friends on Sunday at 12.30 pm. “His friends dared him to jump into a well located behind the temple and he took a plunge. When he did not resurface for almost an hour, they panicked and alerted some residents,” said Pitle’s neighbour Vanant Ferreira, adding that Pitle did not know how to swim.

Shiv Sena corporator Dr Shubha Raul, who visited the spot later, said several residents attempted to save the man after which help from BMC was sought. “We first called the disaster management team and later the fire department. Both refused to step into the well claiming that they did not have the required gear. I suggested de-watering the well with high horse power pump, but even that was declined,” said Raul.

By 11.30 pm on Sunday, divers from the Navy were called. “Even they refused to enter the well as there were reptiles in the water,” added Raul. While a thick crowd gathered at the spot, Pitle’s elder brother, sister and sister-in-law looked on helplessly as one department after another could not offer help.

Ferreira said, “The BMC took too long to take any step. We kept telling them that the snakes were harmless but they still could not enter the well.”

On Monday morning, NDRF divers were called by the civic body to assist in extracting Pitle’s body. In an over an hour-long process, a group of divers entered the 40-ft deep well and recovered the body by 12.30 pm.

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An official from the disaster management cell said BMC does not have professional divers for such a rescue operation. “The well was deep and there were reptiles. There is a flood rescue team in BMC, but there are no divers for this job. Therefore we had to mobilise divers from NDRF for the rescue operation.”

Chief PRO (Defence) Commander Rahul Sinha said, “We had received the request for assistance for undertaking the diving in the the night. Our team had reached the spot and assessed the situation. Based on the situation, it was decided to undertake the diving in the daytime. The next day, when the divers were ready to leave, we were informed that NDRF had already come.”

Pitle’s body was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for post-mortem examination.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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