L-G seeks report on 13 visarjan deaths

A ground survey on the day of the festival saw no police deployment to either manage traffic on the stretch of Ring Road lining the river,or manage law and order during the visarjan,when several are known to be in an inebriated state.

“There was no control over the number of people going to river for idol immersion. There were at least 15,000 people at Wazirabad at one point,and that is where the maximum number of people drowned and died,” a senior government official said,adding that of the deaths,seven were reported from the Wazirabad ghats.

The only agency equipped in dealing with festivities of such scale along the river is the Revenue department — it has a boat club equipped with 13 boats and 35 divers entrusted with search and rescue operations under District Commissioner (East). But for this year’s festival,officials said,police did not intimate the Revenue department on scale of the festival or even the areas where immersions were not allowed.

“This year,police could not control the crowd. That is why 13 people died. Traditionally,the station house officer from the Civil Lines Police Station informs DC (East) to make arrangements for boats and divers,” a senior Revenue official said.

Government officials said police had earlier informed the office of DC (North),which did not respond to the intimation as the North district has nothing to do with the issue.

On the day of visarjan,police communicated with the office of DC (Central),who intimated the office of DC (East) to rush divers and boats. The crowd,officials said,was still unruly and officials were beaten up by public who were out of control. “Of the 21 casualties,we were able to rescue eight people,” the official said.