PUNE:
A day after eight members of a family died when the mini truck they were travelling in veered off the Satara-Pandharpur road and plunged into an open, roadside well near Tandulwadi village in Solapur’s Malshiras tehsil Sunday evening, an FIR has been filed against the road contractor while Solapur district collector S Karthikeyan has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the tragedy apart from ordering a district-wide survey of wells located near roads and highways.
The FIR was filed at Velapur police station under sections 105, 125(a) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on the complaint of Siddheshwar Popat Jadhav, 37, one of the survivors of the mishap. Solapur rural police have registered a criminal case against the contractor, Navjyot Gadokh of Roadway Construction Company, Pune, and others associated with the highway project. The police said that more persons could be named during the course of the investigation.
As per the complaint, the group was returning to Ranjani village in Pandharpur taluka after offering prayers at the Siddhanath temple in Mhaswad, Satara district, when the mini truck they were travelling in fell into an unprotected roadside well on state highway 548 E near Tandulwadi at around 4.45 pm on Sunday. Eight members of a family died while eight others of the extended family sustained injuries.
According to the complaint, those responsible for the road project failed to install a parapet wall, guardrails, warning signboards, lighting, reflectors and other essential safety infrastructure despite being aware of the well’s proximity to the highway.
Santosh Walke, sub-divisional police officer, Akluj division, said, “Prima facie, it appears that the contractor failed to provide necessary safety measures at the site. Based on information collected from the highway department, an FIR has been registered.”
Assistant police inspector Ashish Kamble is conducting further investigation into the matter.
Earlier on Sunday, Balaso Maruti Kadam, the owner of the open well, claimed that the well was originally located away from the road but came closer to the road after road-widening and land acquisition for the project.
“After road construction, the road level was raised and the well came closer to the carriageway. I had informed the contractor and had offered to cover up the well if compensation was provided. I was assured that barricading would be carried out but that was never done,” Kadam said, adding that he had repeatedly written to the administration about the issue.
Meanwhile, the five-member committee constituted by Karthikeyan has been tasked with examining the circumstances that led to the accident, assessing the road and safety conditions at the site, identifying the lapses by concerned agencies, and recommending measures to prevent similar incidents.
Karthikeyan told Hindustan Times, “We have formed a five-member committee under the leadership of the sub-divisional magistrate. The panel includes officials from the public works department (PWD), Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the Regional Transport Office (RTO). SDM Vijaya Pangharkar will head the committee and submit a detailed report within 15 days.”
Furthermore, the Solapur district collector has convened a review meeting Monday evening to discuss preventive measures; and has directed officials to conduct a comprehensive survey of wells located near roads across Solapur district.
“I have instructed officials to identify all wells situated within 30 to 50 metres of roads in the district. Based on the findings, we will take preventive measures such as fencing, barricading and putting up warning signage. In extreme cases, we may consider closing such wells after providing appropriate compensation to the owners,” Karthikeyan said.
Referring to the site of the Sunday accident, he said that the well existed before the road was constructed and lacked adequate protective measures. “The road is new, but there was no proper barricading or fencing around the well. Appropriate safety measures could have averted the tragedy,” he said.
Officials said that the administration is also examining options to secure the well, including barricading, compensating the owner and, if necessary, covering it. However, they noted that the well is a legitimate source of irrigation water and any such decision will require careful consideration.
