The residents in Bhopal find is difficult to accept the fact that 11 persons died as a boat capsized during immersion of lord Ganesha on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.
Eye witnesses said there was none from administration to oversee safety or regulate immersion process.
Public Relations Minister PC Sharma had visited the Khatlapura ghat of lower lake at around 2.30 in the night and did not find any safety measures there.
Kamal Rana, a resident of slum area in Piplani in Bhopal was part of the group of 17 persons including some minors, is one of the survivors in the tragedy.
“There were some policemen who only were regulating the traffic and weren’t bothered who goes for immersion inside the lake,” said Kamal whose brother Hari died in the mishap.
There were two-three boats and we struck the deal for immersion for Rs 600 after the boatmen demanded Rs 1,000, added the young man claiming the boatmen had conjoined two boats with a wooden plank to ensure the big idol was carried on the structure.
Nothing seemed proper as the boat had started tilting at one end as the heavy idol was placed on the boat and the boatmen asked the boys to bring in more youths so as to balance the boat by sitting at one end.
Soon more youths from the group joined in and as the boat reached midway of the lower lake, the group pushed the statue tied with ropes inside the water and at the same time, one end of one of the boats got tilted and plunged into water.
"One of the boatmen asked us to come to the other side and we did but the boats eventually capsized," Kamal told, adding there was no divers or any boat to deal with eventualities. No one was there to give us life jackets as well, said Kamal adding this has been the scene in last few years as well.
Some boatmen from nearby boats had jumped into the water and started the rescue effort, he added claiming the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) only reached site after 30 minutes when all was lost, said the youngster.
To add, the headquarters of the SDRF and Home Guards as well is situated opposite to the lakeside.
“I and others did not know and started gasping for breath and suddenly a nearby boat came to us and we hanged on to it and saved ourselves,” Kamal recounted.
His father Ragho Rana also demanded action against those responsible for the death of 11 lives.
The family of Parvez (15) one of the victims was also inconsolable. “He had told us he was going nearby and would come back after some time,” one of his relatives said.