Design and Development of Rescue Mechanisms for Bore Well Accidents

Abstract

The abandoned open borewells in the rural and agricultural fields pose a death threat to children and animals. Since, Indian agricultural system depends on borewells for water, drilling numerous borewells in agricultural lands is common practice. The dried borewells or abandoned borewells must be properly closed to avoid sudden fall of children. Several incidents across the country witnessed unsuccessful rescue of trapped children from the borewells. In such accidents, excavation of the soil parallel to the borewell to reach the child in borewell is a conventional operation carried out by the rescue team. Recently several strategies have been proposed to develop child rescue systems from the borewells. These strategies include combination of mechanical structures, sensory devices, robotic arm or hands, supporting balloons etc. newlineThe environment condition in the borewell also plays crucial role on the surviving span of the child in the borewell till the completion of the borewell. Availability of sufficient air in the borewell, variations in the temperature and humidity influence the child health condition in the borewell. Understanding the atmosphere parameters in the borewell helps to estimate the time for the rescue operation. Furthermore, knowing the position of the child in the borewell helps to select appropriate holding device to lift the child from the borewell. Therefore, in the present research work, atmosphere parameters were recorded at different geographical regions by selecting different types of soils including clay, red and black soil. Three regions; Giddaluru, Rajampeta and Ananthapuram of Andhra Pradesh state were selected and the data acquisition was carried out from the borewells at different time intervals during the day with the help of sensor fusion system. Then the data was analyzed to develop standard charts. newlineImages of typical trapped child were acquired from a designed prototype and were processed and analyzed by ZEISS ZEN software newline newline