After Indore temple tragedy, MP govt orders survey of all stepwells and open borewells

Days after the stepwell roof collapse at a temple in Indore claimed 36 lives, the Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a state-wide survey of all the covered stepwells and open borewells within 30 days, an official said.

The district administrations have also been asked to completely fill such structures to prevent any untoward incident and loss of life, Madhya Pradesh's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora said on Tuesday.

On March 30, a structure at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in Patel Nagar, which was built in a public garden by laying a slab to cover a "bawdi" or stepwell, collapsed, hurtling devotees several feet below.

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Rajora said district administrations across the state are directed to conduct a survey of bawdis and wells covered with slabs and open borewells within 30 days.

Earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had directed to conduct such surveys across the state to prevent any untoward incident.

Rajora said the district administrations have also been asked to remove the encroachment from bawdis and wells and realise the expense of its removal from the owners.

If the encroachment is not removed, penal action will be taken, he said.

During the past one year, there have been a number of incidents of children falling into open borewells in the state.