Not satisfied with the status report submitted by the Government over the Beas tragedy, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday directed Divisional Commissioner Mandi to conclude and submit an inquiry report by June 19 over opening of largi dam gates that washed away 24 engineering students from Hyderabad.
Before listing the matter for Thursday, the division bench of acting chief justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Chauhan directed that besides Divisional Commissioner Mandi, Managing Director HP State Electricity Board, Superintending Engineer (Generation) largi Project and Resident Engineer largi Power House to be present in court on the next hearing date.
The engineers have been directed to file a detailed report as to how they were manning the barrage / dam and what the mechanism and plan they were following before the discharge of water.
The HP Government told the court that Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, who visited the site of the accident has reported that no warning system whatsoever was found installed at the site and there were no notice boards carrying message of warning etc. However, warning notice boards have been installed subsequently.
VNR Vigyan Jyoti Institute of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad, whose 24 students were washed away after water levels suddenly rose in Beas River because of release of extra water from largi dam, has also been impleaded as respondent to a petition taken up suo moto by the court.