As Odisha boat capsize toll rises to 2, govt says SOPs to be revised

The Odisha government said the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for such operations by ODRAF will be reviewed.

Updated on: Sep 25, 2021, 16:58:18 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The body of diver Sitaram Murmu was on Saturday found kilometres away from Friday’s Odisha boat capsize scene, taking the toll from the tragedy to two. Murmu was missing since the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) boat carrying four of his colleagues and two journalists overturned in the Mahanadi river while trying to rescue a stranded elephant from the middle of the riverbank.

Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force conducts a rescue operation for a stuck elephant near the Mundali barrage while trying to cross the Mahanadi river, in Cuttack on Friday. A journalist with OTV died as the rescue boat capsized. (ANI)

Arindam Das, one of the journalists covering the rescue, drowned. His colleague, cameraman Prabhat Sinha, who was rescued, is recovering at a local hospital. The state government on Saturday announced ₹4 lakh compensation for Das’s family.

After the abortive rescue operation, the Odisha government said the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for such operations by ODRAF will be reviewed.

In a tweet, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority managing director Pradeep Jena said he has requested the police chief to review the SOPs. ODRAF members are drawn from the Odisha Police.

“No outsider, civilian or media should be part of any rescue mission,” Jena tweeted.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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