E-Paper
Delay in recovery of bodies resented
With all out efforts being put in by the rescue teams yielding minimum results, now anxiety, anger and frustration growing among the parents and family members of the engineering students whose bodies are still untraced.
With all out efforts being put in by the rescue teams yielding minimum results, now anxiety, anger and frustration growing among the parents and family members of the engineering students whose bodies are still untraced.
At least 25 persons, including 24 students of Hyderabad-based VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology were washed away in the Beas River at Thalout near Mandi town on Sunday evening due to sudden surge in the water level after Larji hydro-power project released water allegedly without prior alert. So far only eight bodies have been recovered while there is no sign of 16 others who are still missing. No dead body could be recovered on fifth day of the rescue and search operation.
As they wait in agony for bodies of their loved ones to be recovered, the family members say they want the nation and the Himachal government to learn a lesson from the tragedy while some of them even refused to take lunch provided by the local administration.
“We are not here for a picnic. Just want to see bodies of our children. We don’t have any complaint with the administration but why so much delay in recovering the bodies,” said Satyanarayan whose nephew Baswraj Sandeep is in missing list.
“We know our kids will never return. But please don’t let it happen again. It is also high time that we reviewed our disaster management policy,” said Ratnakar Reddy, maternal uncle of Kasarla Rishitha Reddy, whose body is yet to be recovered.
