The Khordha District and Sessions Judge Court here on Wednesday directed the State Government to give Rs 25 lakh compensation each to the kin of the seven engineering students, who were washed away in Mahanadi due to untimely release of water from the Hirakud reservoir on January 30, 1998.
“The Court has ordered the Government to provide Rs 25 lakh to each of the kin of the deceased as compensation within three months,” said petitioners’ counsel Madhumadhaba Jena.
On the fateful day, the seven students of the University College of Engineering of Burla were washed away in the water while they were capturing photographs of each other.
“Stringent action should be initiated against the concerned officials responsible for the students’ death,” Suraprasad Parida, father of one of the deceased, said.
The dam authorities had released water on that fateful day through sluice gates without taking any adequate measures and warning, which resulted in the untimely death of these students. Only one student, Saubhagya Barik, was lucky to be saved.