Bhopal/Jabalpur: Confusion continues to mount over the exact number of passengers aboard the vessel that capsized in the Bargi Dam reservoir, leaving a trail of grief and administrative questions in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district.
While Chief Minister Mohan Yadav confirmed on Friday that nine bodies have been recovered and 29 individuals have been rescued so far, State Tourism Minister Dharmendra Singh Lodhi has expressed grave concerns that the death toll may rise as the rescue operation continues.
The state government has responded to the disaster by ordering a formal probe and imposing an immediate ban on all such water tourism activities across Madhya Pradesh.
The boat was capsized during evening hours on Thursday due to turbulent weather in Bargi reservoir on Narmada river near Jabalpur.
The primary mystery remains the total headcount on the boat at the time of the accident.
Official data from the state tourism department and the tourism corporation is still unavailable, but CCTV footage analysis has added to the complexity.
Surveillance video spotted nearly 43 individuals in the vicinity, while further observations suggest 36 to 37 people may have been on board excluding the operators.
Reports indicating that some passengers may have been given free rides have further complicated the effort to establish a definitive manifest.
The tragedy has sparked a heated debate regarding jurisdictional oversight and safety norms.
An ex-bureaucrat questioned the legal standing of tourism activities on the reservoir, noting that the dam was originally constructed between 1971 and 1990 for irrigation and hydroelectric purposes on the Narmada river.
With the project submerging over 27,000 hectares of land and impacting thousands of families, critics are now asking which department actually holds ownership of the reservoir and who authorised cruise operations in a zone primarily designed for agrarian, power and drinking water utility rather than recreation.
Amid the investigation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia relief of 2 lakh rupees for the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees for the injured.
Chief Minister Yadav also announced that local citizens who risked their lives to save others during the capsizing will be formally honoured for their bravery on Independence Day.
Minister Lodhi emphasised that the incident is inexcusable and promised the strictest possible action if negligence by operators or officials is established during the ongoing inquiry.
(IANS)
