Jharsuguda boat tragedy: NHRC expresses displeasure over lack of response

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed displeasure over the continuous apathy of the State Chief Secretary towards the repeated notices issued by the commission seeking a response regarding the Action Taken Report in connection with the boat capsize incident that took place on April 19, 2024 in Jharsuguda and to avoid such incidents of boat capsizes in future. On April 19, as many as seven persons drowned when a boat carrying about 50 passengers capsized in the Mahanadi river in Jharsuguda district. The boat was overcrowded, operated without a valid licence and did not have a fitness certificate issued by the authorities concerned causing the death of seven persons from Chhattisgarh.

“What astonishes the commission is the non-responsiveness of the government of Odisha through the Chief Secretary, who had failed to submit any report on record in this case despite explicit directions on 25.04.2024 and 26.06.2024,” observed the NHRC. The NHRC made the observation while acting on a plea filed by lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy seeking the NHRC’s intervention in the matter.

The commission, in its order, has also mentioned about not receiving any response from the Chief Secretary to a previous notice issued a few years ago while hearing another petition regarding the repeated occurrence of fatal boat capsize incidents in Odisha. Meanwhile, the commission has issued a fresh notice asking the Chief Secretary to apprise the NHRC of the action taken against the delinquent officials responsible for the failure to supervise and ban the operationalisation of the disputed unlawful and unfit ferry boat in Jharsuguda district on April 19.

The commission has also asked the Chief Secretary to direct the collectors of all districts of Odisha to check the fitness of all the registered ferry boats in their respective jurisdictions and present the list of the number of ferry boats found operating unlawfully and banned thereafter in each district.

The Chief Secretary has been asked to submit the consolidated list of all such districts before the commission and submit action taken by the State government to ensure the ferrying of safe boats in the State waters and for the prevention of recurrence of incidents of boat capsize. The Chief Secretary has been asked to submit his response within six weeks from the receipt of the fresh notice to avoid personal

appearance.