HC notice to Odisha on Hirakud boat tragedy

Orissa High Court has asked the state government to file an affidavit within two weeks stating how many boats are registered to ferry passengers in water bodies and steps being taken to regularly check the fitness of these vessels as per the Boat Rule 2004.
The high court order came when a Division Bench of Justices Indrajit Mohanti and B Mohapatra was adjudicating over a PIL pertaining to last month's boat capsize in Hirakud reservoir in which at least 31 lives were lost.
The HC had suo motu taken cognisance of the tragedy and issued notices to the state after entertaining the same as a PIL.

Responding to the HC notices, the secretaries of revenue, home and water resources departments had earlier filed affidavits detailing about the Hirakud boat tragedy and sources said the High Court has accepted those reports.
The tragedy occurred last month when a picnic party was returning home in a motorised boat in the reservoir. The boat with nearly 150 passengers onboard toppled in the middle of the reservoir and a total of 31 persons, including women and children got drowned.