Dog stuck in empty water reservoir for over a week rescued

A stray dog, which fell inside a deserted underground water reservoir in Greater Noida more than a week ago, was rescued successfully on Tuesday. According to the locals and rescuers, the empty water reservoir has been lying in a state of disrepair, with its broken windows and open manholes posing threat to anyone who passes there.

A stray dog, which fell inside a deserted underground water reservoir in Greater Noida more than a week ago, was rescued successfully on Tuesday.

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According to the locals and rescuers, the empty water reservoir has been lying in a state of disrepair, with its broken windows and open manholes posing threat to anyone who passes there. On Tuesday, some locals from Saini Sunpura village in Greater Noida under Ecotech3 Police Station, who had gone there for a walk, heard a whining from inside the dark pit of the reservoir and dialled the police control room. The police in turn got in touch with a city-based animal NGO named Smart Sanctuary to coordinate the rescue.

“We received a call from a PCR and immediately reached the spot. We were actually surprises to see that the dog was still alive. The entire building is threat and anyone, especially children who play in that area, can fall into the abandoned water pits. It’s a dry and dark reservoir, not in use and runs at least 25 feet deep. I went inside using the ladder and it took some time to rescue the animal,” Kaveri Rana, managing trustee, Smart Sanctuary.

According to a veterinary doctor, the dog had turned skeletally thin and possibly survived only on rainwater. The doctor said that the animal could have been stuck there for at least two weeks.

“It’s a fully grown canine in its prime. It was only eight and a half kilograms when we pulled it out, as compared to teh typical weight of between 20 to 25 kilos. All its body fat and muscles had been used up as energy sources that kept it alive. It seems that the dog must have been stuck there for at least two weeks or perhaps more. Dogs can survive that long without food. It’s on liquid diet for now and will take at least four weeks to recover,” said Dr. Ravinder Kaur, a veterinary doctor at canine and feline critical care unit, Ghaziabad.

The locals who called up the police claimed that some people had accidentally fallen earlier into the reservoir earlier.

“The reservoir is near our village Saini Sunpura. We were walking past it when we heard the whining and called the police. The reservoir is an open threat to even humans. A few months ago, a man from our village had also fallen into it and was found a day later. Many children go there to play as well. The reservoir needs to be repaired and its openings closed.,” said Vishwas Nagar, a resident Saini Sunpura, Greater Noida.

Contacted, officials said that they are looking into the matter.

“We will get the reservoir checked and fixed. The matter has come to our attention now and the concerned official will soon inspect the entire premises so that such an incident is not repeated,” said Deep Chandra, additional CEO, Greater Noida authority.