Repeated incidents of children falling into open borewells have led some experts to question why the scientists’ fraternity have not come up with an effective gadget to save children.
Not that toughExperts believe it is not a tough task to innovate effective and feasible machines to rescue children from borewells. “When Manjegowda from Mandya and Manikandan from Tamil Nadu can invent a simple gadget for the purpose, is it not possible for eminent scientists of our country to develop better equipment?” said Janardhana Swamy, former MP and member of the Karnataka chapter of Innovation Council.
Mr. Swamy, an alumnus of IISc., calls it a “shame” that experts and elected representatives have failed in this. He felt the government should also take an initiative. “The government should first identifying a group of experts and allocate adequate funds, besides setting a timeframe to invent an effective device,” he said, adding only sincere political will, will help deal with the situation.
Echoing similar sentiments, B.N. Raghunandan, former Dean of Engineering Faculty, IISc., said it was not a rocket science to innovate a suitable gadget to extricate a child within a limited time and by avoiding a massive digging operation.
Govt.’s onus“The government should treat devising such machines as part of disaster management,” Dr. Raghunandan said.
