major accident took place in Chamoli, Uttarakhand on Wednesday morning. Sudden current spread at the site of Namami Gange project on the banks of river Alaknanda near Chamoli market. 16 people including the inspector have died in the painful accident. 11 people are badly burnt. Pipalkoti outpost in-charge Pradeep Rawat and home guard Mukandilal are also included in the dead.
When the current ran around the sewerage treatment plant situated on the right bank of the Alaknanda river, the two meter road here was momentarily turned into a pile of dead bodies. By the time the people standing around could understand something, a local resident Subhash raised a voice that whatever you are, keep standing there, due to which many lives were saved. However, 16 people died due to electrocution.
There are two sewerage plants on the banks of Alaknanda on the Gopeshwar-Chamoli road under the Namami Gange project. One plant is near Mahindra Show Room just below Chamoli Bazaar while the other is located near Old Motor Pul. The maintenance of these plants is the responsibility of the Confident Engineering Company. The duty of operator Ganesh working in the plant was from 8 am to 6 pm.
On Tuesday evening, when Ganesh did not return home even after six o’clock, the family members called him. But the phone rang. On Wednesday morning, relatives sent Dheeraj Kumar, an employee of another plant, to inquire about Ganesh, when Ganesh was found dead on the stairs. He informed his higher officials as well as his family members.
Other employees and relatives of the plant, the police team reached the spot. There was no electricity during that time. At 11 am, high voltage current ran from the plant to the road with a loud noise.
With the bang people started falling on the ground one by one. There was chaos, many people started running towards the spot, on this Subhash raised a loud voice, stand where you are, due to which people stood up and many lives were saved.
Along with Santoshi Devi’s honeymoon, two lamps of the house were also snatched.
Due to the death of two sons and husband in a current accident, a mountain of sorrow has broken on Santoshi Devi’s family. Ganesh Lal (22) son Mahendra Lal died under suspicious circumstances in the sewer treatment plant of Namami Gange project.
On information, Ganesh’s father Mahendra Lal (48) and elder brother Deepu Kumar (33) reached the spot, but after a while there was electrocution, in which both father and son also died.
Now only Santoshi and her young son are left in the house. Santoshi Devi’s entire family was ruined in one stroke. The mountain of sorrows has now broken on the family that used to laugh till yesterday.
Orders to conduct safety audit of all plants, pumping stations
After the sewerage treatment plant accident in Chamoli, the government has now ordered safety audit of all sewerage treatment plants and drinking water pumping stations. Secretary Drinking Water Arvind Singh Hyanki has asked to submit the report within a week.
The main reason for the accident at Namami Gange’s sewerage treatment plant in Chamoli is not excess current but the fault after the meter. Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) has claimed this after preliminary investigation.
