Farmers Ratilal Balbhim Narute and Anil Bapurao Narute Found Dead in Deep Tunnel

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Desperate for Water, Two Farmers Found Dead in Deep Tunnel

In a tragic incident, two farmers who had fallen into a 275-feet deep tunnel of the Nira-Bhima Stabilisation Project in Akole village, Indapur taluka, Pune district, were found dead on Wednesday. Ratilal Balbhim Narute (56) and Anil Bapurao Narute (32), residents of Siddheshwar Wasti, Kazad, had ventured into the tunnel in search of water to save their crops. Their bodies were recovered late in the night, and their last rites were performed on Thursday morning.

According to irrigation officials, the farmers had initially been given permission to draw water from the shaft constructed as part of the stabilisation project. However, the permission was only temporary, and they were not allowed to continue drawing water. Despite this, the farmers had been using a motor to draw water from the shaft, risking their lives in the process. The tunnel, which is nearly 275-feet deep, had a high water level a few months ago, but it has since decreased. Officials had erected a railing around the shaft to prevent entry, but the farmers ignored it.

The incident occurred when Ratilal Narute and his son, along with Anil Narute and his father, entered the tunnel to push a submersible pump into the water. Due to poor rainfall, the water levels had dropped significantly, requiring farmers to step into the water and manually operate the pump. Tragically, the crane carrying Ratilal and Anil crashed, and the water level was only up to knee-level at the time.

Eyewitnesses reported that after descending about fifty feet into the tunnel, the rope holding the farmers broke. The rope, which was color-coated, went unnoticed, leading to the unfortunate accident. Similar to Ratilal and Anil, many other families in the area have laid pipelines to access the water in the shaft.

This is not the first incident of its kind in the area. In November 2017, nine workers lost their lives in a similar accident at a nearby shaft constructed for the same project. An elevator box carrying the workers and equipment collapsed when the cable snapped, resulting in a fatal fall.

The farmers’ relatives, who gathered under a tree in front of Ratilal’s house, expressed their grief over the poor rainfall and the dry wells that forced their loved ones to desperately search for water. Despite having wells and bore wells, the water levels remained low, driving them to explore alternative sources. The scarcity of water in the region has been a perennial problem, and farming has become increasingly challenging.

The family members expressed their regret, stating that if the water level in the shaft had been higher, there might have been a chance for the farmers to survive the fall. However, the unfortunate circumstances led to the loss of two lives in a single day.

Baramati MP Supriya Sule visited the village to offer her condolences to the grieving relatives. The authorities have stated that they will assess the documents of the farmers to determine if they are eligible for any assistance. However, the legality of the farmers’ actions will need to be verified with the irrigation agency.

The Krishna-Bhima stabilisation project aims to interlink river basins, implement lift-irrigation projects, and provide water to drought-prone districts in the Marathwada region. Despite such initiatives, the lack of adequate rainfall continues to pose a major challenge for farmers in the area.

This unfortunate incident serves as a stark reminder of the struggles faced by farmers in dry regions and highlights the urgent need for sustainable solutions to address the water crisis..