Beas tragedy: Search to continue, HP govt tells HC

Shimla, Jun 24: The

Government on Tuesday informed the state High Court that till the evening of June 22, seventeen bodies had been recovered out of the 25 persons who were washed away in

river on June 8.

In the status report submitted to the Court, the Chief Secretary said that it has been decided to continue with the search operation till the remaining bodies are traced.

The division bench of the Court comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan posted the matter for hearing tomorrow.

Twenty four students of VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, and a tour operator were washed away in Beas river near Thalot on June 8 after discharge of water from Largi Hydel Power Project.

The High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the tragedy and asked the government to submit a status report.

The Chief Secretary, in the status report, also said that the state Power Department has been asked to get an inquiry conducted through a technical person not below the rank of Chief Engineer as to why only state-run power projects were asked to reduce generation while other projects continued to run at full, or in some cases, more than the capacity.

He also said that the government has asked the concerned departments to take steps to implement the recommendations contained in the inquiry report of the Divisional Commissioner, Mandi.

Mandi DC Onkar Sharma, in his inquiry report on the drowning of 25 persons, submitted to the Court last week, had given details of the release of water from the Larji project and about inadequate warning system along the river.

The Court had in its last hearing on June 19 directed the state government to file a status report on the steps taken by authorities on the inquiry report, and also asked the college to file an affidavit about the students' tour.

PTI