The tragic incident of a 3-year-old girl, Chetna Chaudhary, who fell into a 700-foot-deep borewell in Kotputli, Rajasthan, concluded on Wednesday with the recovery of her lifeless body. The accident occurred in Badiyali Ki Dhani, Kiratpura, last month, sparking a massive 10-day rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local authorities.
Chetna had fallen into the borewell on the evening of December 23. Rescue teams worked tirelessly, but no signs of movement were observed from the child over the last eight days of the operation. She was retrieved from the borewell at 6:25 PM and transported to Kotputli’s BDM Hospital, where doctors confirmed she was deceased upon arrival.
Despite over five attempts to rescue the child, the efforts were unsuccessful, drawing significant criticism toward the administration. The incident prompted Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to issue a directive requiring all open borewells in the state to be covered within two weeks.
On the morning of the final recovery, rescue personnel used phenyl and burnt camphor near the site to mitigate any odours, preparing for an anticipated grim outcome. Mahaveer Jat, an NDRF rescuer, retrieved Chetna’s body, wrapping it in a white cloth before transferring her to the hospital.
Rajasthan NDRF chief Yogesh Meena stated that the girl was found in an unresponsive state with no vital signs. Rescuers reported that her body had been trapped between layers of soil, which required manual clearing to reach her. Kotputli District Magistrate Kalpana Agrawal confirmed that Chetna’s body would be handed over to her family after completing the post-mortem formalities.
