This is how ‘Operation Zindagi’ accomplished in Chhattisgarh, Rahul rescued safely 

The whole country was praying for the safe rescue of 10-year-old boy Rahul Sahu, who had fallen into a borewell at Janjgir-Champa district in Chhatisgarh. And finally, the prayers were answered and the boy was rescued safely after a 104-hour-long operation. 

Here is the how one of the longest rescue operations was executed. 

Rahul while playing had fallen into an 80-foot-deep abandoned borewell in the Phirid village of Janjgir-Champa district on June 10. 
As the news spread, a rescue operation was immediately launched to rescue Rahul safely. The team comprising NDRF, SDRF, Army personnel including others left no stone unturned to make it a success one.

By Monday night, the distance between the rescue team and Rahul was reduced to just few inches. But these last few inches seemed to be few kilometres for the team. 

Informing about the operation, rescue command of chief, NDRF, Commander Bardhhaman Mishra said they had adopted a two prong approach to rescue Rahul. “We had tried to evacuate him through the borewell. But we had to leave it as he was not responding to our instructions. The second approach was to rescue him through a tunnel which had already been started along with the first approach,” Mishra said. 

“As we went on making a tunnel we came to know about the nature of rock. Subsequently we changed our cutting technology. However, we made our operation fast to reach at him at the realist. After we came nearer to him, we had to be extra careful as safe rescue was our aim,” said Mishra. 

“The district administration had played big role in the operation. The plans were of the district Collector and police administration and we were only executing them. Our operation continued for five days without any break, with our personnel going without food,” said Mishra. 
“While one team was monitoring the boy inside the borewell, another team was at work in the tunnel. Whenever any video of the boy was shared from the ground above with us, we would feel if the boy was trying to be alive we should put our double effort in rescuing him,” he said. 

“The boy is a divyang one. But his approach was worth appreciation. When our team approached the boy for the first time, they understood it that the boy had been sure of it that people are working for his rescue. He had all along been cooperating with us. When we approached him asked him to follow certain instructions, instead of being reluctant he followed them,” added Mishra. 

When asked, Janjgir-Champa district Collector Jitendra Shukla said, “Time plays a vital role in any operation. And this operation was not different either. We were totally open to receive suggestions. After analysing, we put best of them to use.”

“I will also thankful to the people of Odisha for remaining associated with the project since the beginning. It is because of prayers of them and others from across the nation, the boy could be rescued safely,” Shukla added. 

Narrating about their role in the operation, senior Indian Army officer Major Parikh said, “It is common to find in any operation that when it seems the chances of success are bleak the morale of the people at work also starts demising. The same was happening here. But our intervention boosted it up.”

“After seeing the boy blinking his eyes, looking around while being carried out of the tunnel, it was a moment of great joy and satisfaction for all of us who had been working in the operation relentlessly,” observed  senior Indian Army officer Major Goutam Suri. 

It is worth mentioning here that the team also cashed in on the experience of the district Collector and ADM as they both are Civil engineers. To make it sure that the water level in the borewell should not increase, all the borewell points in the locality had been left opened during the entire period of the operation.