Collective negligence of a joint venture firm, Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan and Uttarakhand Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) led to the death by electrocution of 16 people, including a police officer and three home guards, at a sewage treatment plant under the Namami Gange programme at Gopeshwar in Chamoli, police said on Sunday.
Police on Friday had arrested three people, one each from the joint venture, Jal Sansthan and UPCL, for gross negligence. STP is outsourced to a joint venture of Patiala-based Jai Bhushan Malik Contractors and Coimbatore-based Confident Engineering India Pvt. Ltd.
“Our investigation so far has made it clear that it was collective negligence that led to the electrocution incident,” Chamoli circle officer Pramod Shah said. “We arrested additional assistant engineer Hardev Lal of Jal Sansthan, joint venture company supervisor Pawan Chamola, and UPCL lineman Mahendra Singh for gross negligence.”
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Safety standards were flouted at the treatment plant, Shah said. “There were several mechanical and electrical faults that were not addressed,” he said. “We are finding lapses. Other culprits will also be nabbed.”
{{/usCountry}}Safety standards were flouted at the treatment plant, Shah said. “There were several mechanical and electrical faults that were not addressed,” he said. “We are finding lapses. Other culprits will also be nabbed.”
{{/usCountry}}On Thursday, a first information report was registered under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983, against Pawan Chamola, supervisor of the joint-venture company, and other unidentified officials of the company.
Three teams were constituted by Chamoli police superintendent under the supervision of Shah to investigate the matter. Operation and maintenance of the Gopeshwar sewage treatment plant is outsourced to a joint venture of Patiala-based Jai Bhushan Malik Contractors and Coimbatore-based Confident Engineering India, officials said.
The treatment plant with capacity to process 0.5 mega litres per day was set up under the Namami Gange project in 2019 and handed over to Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan in 2021, with electricity provided to it by Uttarakhand Power Corporation.
On Wednesday morning, 15 people were electrocuted and 11 others injured at the plant located on the banks of the Alaknanda river. They had gathered at the plant as police were investigating the electrocution of the lone security guard Ganesh Lal the night before.
Jal Sansthan and UPCL officials didn’t respond to calls despite repeated attempts.ead