The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) recently transferred its indigenously developed Borewell Rescue System to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 06 Battalion, Jarod, Vadodara. As IITGN’s first staff-led project with NDRF, the system is designed to make borewell rescues safer and more efficient.
Each year, children in India tragically fall into open borewells, posing complex challenges for rescuers. The project aimed to develop an improved borewell rescue mechanism by replacing the manual handling of heavy and unstable rescue rods with a controllable winch-hoist system, supported by structural and operational improvements. The system has been validated in multiple mock trials and is now formally handed over to NDRF for field use.
The event began with a demonstration of the borewell rescue system, showcasing earlier rescue practices and the improvements achieved through the project. The dignitaries witnessed how the newly developed winch-and-hoist structure with VFD provides precise control at depth, significantly reducing the physical strain and risks associated with manually handling heavy metal rescue rods.
A presentation later traced the project’s journey, from the initial field visit at NDRF Gandhinagar to the final product development. It outlined the problem statement, the collaborative design process, and multiple rounds of testing.
“I appreciate and congratulate the team for building the system independently, and Prof Madhu for the mentorship provided. The soldiers’ manual effort and fatigue have been minimized, while rescue efficiency has improved with a controllable system. Such solutions can inspire our student community and demonstrate how institutes can collaborate to solve real problems of national importance,” said Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN.
“Earlier, our soldiers used to handle rescue rods manually, which caused fatigue and risk. The winch-and-hoist will now take the load of the rod assembly and the victim, reducing manual effort. I appreciate the IITGN staff members and Prof Madhu for this development,” said Surender Singh, NDRF commandant.
Prof Vinod Narayanan, HoD, Mechanical Engineering at IITGN, congratulated the team for successfully building the system through staff-led innovation under faculty mentorship. He said, “I really appreciate and congratulate the efforts put in by the staff members to build the system on their own, and Prof. Madhu Vadali for their motivation and mentorship.”
The ceremony was graced by Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN; Mr. Surender Singh, Commandant, NDRF; Prof. Vinod Narayanan, HoD Mechanical Engineering, IITGN; Prof. Madhu Vadali, Associate Professor and Project Mentor; and Prof. Atul Bhargav, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, along with the staff team that led the project.
The project team included Mr Babloo Sharma, Mr Ashish Pandey, Mr Nirav Bhatt, Mr Aman Tripathi, Mr Pragnesh Parekh, and Mr Shibaram Sahoo. Their contributions, supported by faculty mentorship, played a pivotal role in designing, fabricating, and delivering the system to NDRF.
Disclaimer: This is an official press release by Pib.
