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Paradip, May 10: Fifty-year-old Madhav Biswal, a marginal farmer from Nachipada village in Jagatsinghpur, lost both his teenaged daughters in the boat accident in Biluakhai river last evening.
Five persons, including four minor girls, drowned when a country boat capsized around 7pm yesterday.
“My elder daughter Swatirekha had scored 85 per cent marks in the high school certificate examination. I had decided to admit her in Plus Two science at Jagatsinghpur Government College. My younger daughter Srutirekha, who was in Class VIII, was also good at studies. Now, both of them are dead and my life has lost its meaning,” said an inconsolably sobbing Biswal.
Papu Bhoi, 29, Sruti Biswal, 15 and Beauty Biswal, 16, also died in the accident.
Failure on part of the administration to review and ensure the safety aspect of passengers travelling on ferries has drawn criticism from various quarters.
Local villagers owned the ill-fated boat. It was being run without permit and there was no skilled boatman to operate it.
“The spot where the boat capsized was full of weeds. The boat was stuck in it and could not move ahead. Those on board got panicky. That’s when the boat lost balance, and this lead to the accident. The boat was carrying 21 people, all from Nachipur village. I swam to safety,” said Bikash Bhoi, 19, a survivor.
“The circumstances leading to the boat tragedy are being inquired into. The administration had not given any permission to ferry passengers here,” said local tehsildar Pravash Kumar Beuria, who visited the village soon after the tragedy.
Jagatsinghpur collector Satya Kumar Mallick said: “The district administration is deeply shocked by the mishap. Legal action will be taken against the errant the private boat owners who are ferrying passengers without fitness certificates from the inland water transport department.”
Situated by the Biluakhai river, Nachipur village has a population of around 1,200. Most of the residents depend on farming for their livelihood.
Beuria, the tehsildar, said Rs 10,000 financial assistance from the district Red Cross Society funds had already been given to the bereaved families. Rs 2,000 each was also paid to the families from the Harishchandra Yojana for performance of last rites.
Another Rs 50,000 ex gratia would be paid to these families from the district emergency funds.
