Beas River disaster

Last updated

Beas River disaster
Date8 June 2014
Time18:48 IST
Location Beas River, Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Casualties
25 dead

The Beas River disaster refers to the 8 June 2014 drowning of 24 second-year engineering students (six female and 18 male) and one tour operator from V.N.R. Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology of Hyderabad at the Beas River in Himachal Pradesh. The accident took place in the Thalout area (Shalanala Village) of Mandi district and was the result of a sudden surge of river water released upstream from the Larji hydro electric project. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Incident

48 students [3] and three faculty/staff members of the V.N.R. Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (Hyderabad) were on an educational/industrial tour from Shimla to Manali, about 200 kilometres (130 miles) from Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla. [5] Some of them were photographing themselves on the banks of the Beas river on the Mandi-Manali National Highway NH-21, when they were washed away as the water flow in the river suddenly increased. The surge of water occurred when the Larji hydroelectric power project opened its floodgates, sending tonnes of water downstream.

The dam water was released suddenly by the dam authorities without prior notice. Two students Raman Teja Venigalla & Biswas Nandamuri [6] [7] were alarmed when men on the shore collecting sand began to point and yell "Dam" [7] just a few seconds before the water gushed in.

Footage surfaced on the internet two days after the incident which showed how the victims were caught unaware before the river carried them away. The video was shot by Bihari Lal, who was present about 100 metres above the river bed on a hilly area where a wedding was being held. [8]

Sensing the danger [9] [10] and Asish Mantha selflessly started helping the other students to reach the river bank. It has been reported by the surviving students that Kiran Kumar Muppidi had saved five fellow students before he slipped away. Devasish Bose was seen fighting hard to save one of the fellow students before he went missing. According to first hand witness the unofficial tour guide had jumped into the current to save some students.

Rescue

Authorities deployed over 550 rescue team members including divers from NDRF, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), ITBP, the local firemen and policemen, and a private team of swimmers and divers trained by the Additional DGP of Police (Sports) in Telangana, Mr. Rajeev Trivedi and assisted by Supdt. of Police, Mr.Kartikeya. UAVs, multi-beam sonar, and lidar were also deployed to trace missing students along the 15 km stretch from Larji Dam to Pandoh Dam. [11] Beginning 16 June, the parents of the students who were camping in Himachal Pradesh started leaving for their native places. [4] [12]

The bodies of 23 of the 24 students, and the tour guide were recovered. Student Kalluri Sree Harsha's body was not recovered. [13]

Government response

Probe

A case has been registered against officials of the Larji Hydroelectric Project and College for causing the death of 24 engineering students through negligence. The case was registered after eyewitnesses claimed that the hooter was not sounded before the flow of water into the river was increased. [8]

An initial probe suggested that Larji power project was asked to reduce generation on the day of the tragedy but that plant officials instead shut it down. As a result of this, the water that had built up in its reservoir needed to be released, leading to a sudden surge in the Beas river. [14] It has been reported by some news agencies that the Larji hydroelectric power project has been involved with local sand mafia and this was what made the officials open the gates without proper control. [15]

Compensation

The Himachal High Court awarded compensation of 2,000,000 rupees to parents of students to paid in a ratio of 60:30:10 by the electricity board, the college and the state of Himachal Pradesh. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beas River</span> River in north India

The Beas River is a river in north India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 kilometres (290 mi) to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab. Its total length is 470 kilometres (290 mi) and its drainage basin is 20,303 square kilometres (7,839 sq mi) large.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kullu district</span> District of Himachal Pradesh, India

Kullu is a district in Himachal Pradesh, India. It borders Shimla district to the south, Mandi and Kangra districts to the west, Kinnaur to the east and the Lahaul and Spiti district to the north and east. The largest valley in this mountainous district is the Kullu Valley. The Kullu valley follows the course of the Beas River, and ranges from an elevation of 833 m above sea level at Aut to 3330 m above sea level at the Atal Tunnel South Portal, below the Rohtang Pass. The town of Kullu, located on the right side of the Beas River, serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district. The Kullu district also incorporates several riverine tributary valleys of the Beas, including those of the Parvati, Sainj, and Tirthan rivers, and thus some regions somewhat distant from the Kullu valley. The economy of the district relies mainly on horticulture, agriculture, tourism, and traditional handicrafts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rohtang Pass</span> Mountain pass

Rohtang Pass is a high mountain pass on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km (32 mi) from Manali in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chenab River</span> River in India and Pakistan

The Chenab River is a major river that flows in India and Pakistan, and is one of the 5 major rivers of the Punjab region. It is formed by the union of two headwaters, Chandra and Bhaga, which rise in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The Chenab flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, India, into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before ultimately flowing into the Indus River. The Battle of Chenab was fought between Sikhs and Afghans on the bank of the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manali, Himachal Pradesh</span> Town in India

Manali is a town, near Kullu town in Kullu district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is situated in the northern end of the Kullu Valley, formed by the Beas River. The town is located in the Kullu district, approximately 270 kilometres (170 mi) north of the state capital of Shimla and 544 kilometres (338 mi) northeast of the national capital of New Delhi. With a population of 8,096 people recorded in the 2011 Indian census Manali is the beginning of an ancient trade route through Lahaul (H.P.) and Ladakh, over the Karakoram Pass and onto Yarkand and Hotan in the Tarim Basin of China. Manali is a popular tourist destination in India and serves as the gateway to the Lahaul and Spiti district as well as the city of Leh in Ladakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutlej</span> River in Asia

The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroads region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. The Sutlej River is also known as Satadru. It is the easternmost tributary of the Indus River. The Bhakra Dam is built around the river Sutlej to provide irrigation and other facilities to the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana.

Bilaspur is a town and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhakra Dam</span> Dam in Himachal Pradesh, India

Bhakra Nangal Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Satluj River in Bhakra Village in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The dam forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir. Nangal Dam is another dam at Nangal in Punjab downstream of Bhakra Dam. However, sometimes both the dams together are called Bhakra-Nangal Dam though they are two separate dams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kullu</span> Town in Himachel Pradesh, India

Kullu is a municipal council town that serves as the administrative headquarters of the Kullu district of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the airport at Bhuntar, Kullu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology</span> Engineering college in Hyderabad, India

Vallurupalli Nageswara Rao Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (VNRVJIET) is a private engineering college in Hyderabad, India recognized by All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE) and affiliated to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gobind Sagar</span> Reservoir in India

Gobind Sagar Lake is a reservoir situated in Una and Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is formed by the Bhakra Dam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leh–Manali Highway</span> High elevation mountain highway in India

The Leh–Manali Highway is a 428 km (266 mi) long highway in northernmost India connecting Leh, the capital of the Union Territory of Ladakh, to Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It crosses four passes Rohtang la, Baralacha la, lungalacha la, tanglang la. It connects the Kullu Valley of the upper Beas river to the Chandra and Bhaga river valleys of Lahaul via the Atal tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, then crosses over a series of high Himalayan passes into the Indus river valley in Ladakh. It is usually open for about six months a year from the first week of May when the snow is cleared from the highway to October when snowfall again blocks the high passes on the highway. Before the construction of the Atal tunnel, the highway used to remain closed beyond the Rohtang Pass during winter. With the completion of the proposed Shingo La Tunnel on an alternate route through Zanskar valley, targeted to be completed by 2025, the whole Leh-Manali route will become an all-weather road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydroelectric power in Himachal Pradesh</span>

The Indian state Himachal Pradesh has a large number hydroelectricity resources, about twenty five percent of the national potential. About 27,436 MW of hydroelectric power can be generated in the state by the construction of various hydroelectric projects on the five perennial river basins. Out of total hydroelectric potential of the state, 10,519 MW is harnessed so far, out of which 7.6% is under the control of Himachal Pradesh Government while the rest is exploited by the Central Government. The state government has been giving the highest priority for its development, since hydroelectric generation can meet the growing need of power for industry, agriculture and rural electrification. It is also the biggest source of income to the state as it provides electricity to other states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kullu Valley</span> Valley in Himachal Pradesh, India

Kullu Valley is a broad open valley in Himachal Pradesh, India, formed by the Beas River between Manali and Larji. This valley is famous for its temples, beauty and its majestic hills covered with pine and deodar forest and sprawling apple orchards. The course of the Beas river presents a succession of magnificent, clad with forests of deodar, towering above trees of pine on the lower rocky ridges. Kullu valley is sandwiched between the Pir Panjal, Lower Himalayan and Great Himalayan Ranges. Ski touring is a sport growing in popularity in the Himilayan peaks surrounding the valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koldam Dam</span> Dam in Bilaspur district

The Koldam Hydropower Station, commonly known as Koldam, is an embankment dam on the Sutlej River upstream of the Dehar Power House. It is 18 km from Bilaspur off the Chandigarh-Manali Highway (NH-21) near Barmana, Himachal Pradesh, India. The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it will support an 800 MW power station. The dam was constructed by NTPC Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandoh Dam</span> Dam in Mandi district

The Pandoh Dam is an embankment dam on the Beas River in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Under the Beas Project, the dam was completed in 1977 and its primary purpose is hydroelectric power generation. Part of a run-of-the-river power scheme, it diverts the waters of the Beas to the southwest through a 38 km (24 mi) long system of tunnels and channels. The water is used for power generation at the Dehar Power House before being discharged into the Sutlej River, connecting both rivers. The power house has an installed capacity of 990 MW. The system diverts 256 cumecs of Beas waters to the Satluj River. The project was completed in 1977.

The Pong Dam, also known as the Beas Dam, is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Beas River in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India, just upstream of Talwara. The purpose of the dam is water storage for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. As the second phase of the Beas Project, construction on the dam began in 1961 and was completed in 1974. At the time of its completion, the Pong Dam was the tallest of its type in India. The lake created by the dam, Maharana Pratap Sagar, became a renowned bird sanctuary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Plant</span> Dam

The Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Plant is a 1,091 megawatts (1,463,000 hp) run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station on the Sutlej River in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh state of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Himalayas</span> Western section of the Himalayas

The Western Himalayas refers to the western half of the Himalayas, in northwestern India and northern Pakistan. Four of the five tributaries of the Indus River in Punjab rise in the Western Himalayas; while the fifth, the Sutlej cuts through the range after rising in Tibet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Himachal Pradesh</span> Tourism in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh

Tourism in Himachal Pradesh relates to tourism in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. This is popularly renowned for its Himalayan landscapes and popular hill-stations. Many outdoor activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, ice-skating, trekking, rafting, and heli-skiing are popular tourist attractions in Himachal Pradesh.

References

  1. ↑ "24 students from Hyderabad feared drowned in Beas river in Himachal, 5 bodies recovered". The Times of India. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Beas river tragedy: 7 key points". The Times of India. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Vignana Jyothi students washed away in HP". Deccan-journal.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 Beas tragedy: Another student's body recovered : India, News - India Today
  5. ↑ "Beas river tragedy: HC calls its 'grave negligence', seeks status report; search continues". Hindustan Times. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Lasseter, Tom (17 December 2014). "When India lost its student engineers on sand mafia path to Beas river". livemint.com/. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 Lasseter, Tom. "Inside India's Deadly Sand Mafia". Bloomberg. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Video of Beas River Tragedy goes Viral on Internet". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "M Kiran Kumar, the hero who saved lives of 4 batchmates, before the Beas swept him away". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  10. ↑ www.youtube.com/watch?v=42mNOvNOiLA Himachal Pradesh Tragedy - How some students saved their friends lives? - HP Tragedy
  11. ↑ "Vyas River tragedy: Water level lowered, but no bodies found". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  12. ↑ "Parents asked to return back". Deccan-Journal. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  13. ↑ "Two months on, father awaits Beas tragedy victim's body, DNA report". 11 August 2014.
  14. ↑ "How Corruption and Mismanagement caused Beas River Tragedy?". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  15. ↑ "The New York Times Blames 'Sand Mafia' for Beas Tragedy". NDTV.com. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "The Himachal High Court awards a compensation of 20 Lakh rupees to Parents of Students who were washed away in the Beas River". 3 January 2016.

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