News Analysis India

Tag: Jorhat

  • Assam ferry mishap: Six Inland Water Transport staffers arrested, three others detained

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: At least six employees of Assam’s Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department have been arrested for allegedly committing mistakes sans which the boat capsize in the Brahmaputra that has left two persons dead and one missing could have been avoided, and charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, police said on Sunday.

    At least two persons died and one went missing after a private boat with 92 passengers on board capsized following a head-on collision with a government-owned ferry near Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district on September 8.

    Jorhat SP Ankur Jain said that three people working in the private boat were picked up for questioning, while several officials were summoned for recording their statements. “We have arrested six IWT staffers from Nimati Ghat after finding out that they had committed mistakes as they did not follow the procedures. The accident could have been avoided,” Jain said.

    The police have registered a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) read with Section 34 (criminal act done by several persons for the common intention of all) of the Indian Penal Code, and all the accused have been charged with these provisions, he added. “Three persons working in the private boat at Kamalabari in Majuli district were also picked up for questioning. We are coordinating with Majuli Police and a team from Jorhat will reach there,” Jain said.

    Asked whether any IWT officer has been taken into custody, Jain replied in negative but said that many officials posted at Nimati Ghat were called for questioning for recording their statements. “Presently, we are trying to reconstruct the scenario and find out how the accident took place,” the SP said without sharing further details.

    The collision took place when private boat ‘Ma Kamala’ was heading towards Majuli from Nimati Ghat with passengers and vehicles, while government ferry ‘MB Tipkai’ was coming from the world’s largest river island.

    Visiting the accident spot the next day, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that in the initial probe, “mismanagement” was found to be the prime reason for the accident.

    Meanwhile, various agencies such as National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and district administrations are conducting an extensive search in the accident spot and even 100 km downstream for the missing person.

    He was identified as Bikramjit Barua, a doctor hailing from Jorhat who was posted in Majuli. The deceased were Parimita Das, a college teacher from Guwahati, and Indreswar Bora, a school teacher from Lakhimpur.

  • Criminal case, high-level probe in Brahmaputra boat capsize: Assam CM

    By PTI

    JORHAT (Assam): Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday ordered the police to file a criminal case in connection with the boat capsize in the Brahmaputra in Jorhat district that claimed one life while two persons are still missing.

    After visiting the accident site with senior officials, Sarma told reporters that as per the initial probe, mismanagement was found to be the prime reason for the accident, which happened on Wednesday evening.

    “I have asked the Jorhat Police to file a criminal case for the accident. By today evening, we will announce a high-level probe to find out the reasons behind the accident,” he said.

    The chief minister also said that there are 10 private machine boats with single engines that operate between Nimati Ghat in Jorhat on the southern bank of Brahmaputra to Majuli, the world’s largest river island.

    “From today, all single-engine boats will be banned from plying. Those engines are not marine engines. However, if an owner wants to transform them into marine engines, we will support them,” he added.

    Sarma said a marine engine costs around Rs 10 lakh, which will be provided to the willing private owners by the government immediately after their application.

    “Out of the total amount, 75 per cent will be government subsidy and 25 per cent will be given as loans. They can start applying from today at the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Majuli,” he said.

    Sarma also said a total of 90 persons were travelling on the ill-fated private boat. Out of them, one person died and two are still missing. Overnight search and rescue operations found 87 persons alive.

  • Assam boat collision: 84 passengers found alive, 2 missing 

    By PTI

    JORHAT/GUWAHATI: Overnight search and rescue operations established contacts with 84 persons, who were travelling on the ill-fated boat that capsized in the Brahmaputra river in Assam, but two persons are still missing, officials said on Thursday morning.

    One person was confirmed dead after a private boat heading to Majuli sank on Wednesday evening, following a head-on collision with a government-owned ferry near Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district.

    The wreckage of the boat, which was found overturned around 1.5 km downstream of the mighty Brahmaputra, was cut open from the base by NDRF and SDRF divers, but no body was found inside it, Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Ashok Barman told PTI.

    “So far, one person is confirmed dead and two persons are missing. We could do contact tracing of 84 persons to different villages in Jorhat and Majuli districts. This adds up to the presence of 87 passengers on the boat,” he added.

    Jorhat’s Superintendent of Police Ankur Jain said the two missing persons hail from Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts, and search operation is still going on with divers from the NDRF and SDRF with backup of the Army.

    “The divers on Thursday morning also went inside the boat, but could not find any bodies. Army divers will also search the area. Air Force will carry out an aerial survey downstream to locate the missing persons,” he said.

    Jorhat Medical College and Hospital’s Superintendent Purnima Barua said 11 passengers were admitted to the hospital, of whom one died and three were released.

    “Seven persons are still undergoing treatment, but none of them are critical. More than physical injury, they are in mental trauma,” she said.

    The deceased was identified as Parimita Das, who hailed from Guwahati and was working as a faculty at Rangachahi College in Majuli.

    Officials of Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department said private boat ‘Ma Kamala’ was heading to Majuli from Nimati Ghat on the southern bank with passengers and vehicles, while government ferry ‘MB Tipkai’ was coming from the world’s largest river island when the two collided.

    As ‘Ma Kamala’ was run by private parties, they did not have any system to give tickets to passengers.

    So, the initial estimate of the passengers on board varied from 80 to 150 as per eyewitness accounts.

    Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, who reached the site at around 3 am, said many heads will roll after the inquiry by Transport Secretary Jadav Saikia is complete.

    “Already three officials of the IWT are suspended. Besides, 72 more IWT staffers were present at Nimati Ghat when the accident took place. Why was the boat allowed to leave when another ferry was coming at a high speed? There must be some fault of our staff,” he said.

    Along with Patowary, state ministers Bimal Bora and Jogen Mohan were also camping at the site to oversee the search and rescue operations.

    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Nimati Ghat and toured the river on a boat to assess the on-ground situation.

    Officials of the IWT Department said only one ramp of Nimati Ghat is functioning at present as water level in Brahmaputra is high due to monsoon rains.

    “As only one ramp is operational, any outgoing ferry has to give way to the incoming one. Ma Kamala had to leave the ghat to give way to Tipkai. While it went just a few metres, the two collided,” an official said.