Police on Saturday arrested three people in connection with the death of 16 people due to electrocution at a sewage treatment plant (STP) in Chamoli district.
Chamoli Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobal told a press conference that Hardevlal Arya, assistant engineer in-charge of Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, Mahendra Singh, lineman of the electricity department, and Pawan Chamola, local supervisor of the company operating the STP, have been arrested for gross negligence in operating electrical equipment at Namami Gange's STP.
Hinting at more arrests in this connection, Mr. Dobal said the role of the owner of the joint venture company, the project manager and other persons was also being probed.
16 people were killed and 11 others were injured in two incidents of electrocution on Tuesday and Wednesday at the STP located on the banks of the Alaknanda River in Chamoli.
Mr. Arya was suspended after the accident.
Mr. Dobal said that on the basis of the complaint by the revenue inspector Neeraj Swaroop in connection with the accident, a case has been registered against Chamola and others in Chamoli Kotwali under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13/31 Dangerous Machines Regulation Act-1983.
He said that during the investigation, inquiries from officials of Jal Sansthan and the electricity department and inspection of the spot have confirmed that the accused showed gross negligence in the operation of electrical equipment.
They put the 'changeover' on top of the box contrary to the safety norms and the entire STP was being run in a tin shed and a structure made of electrically conductive metal which resulted in the death of people due to current leakage.
The Superintendent of Police said that serious irregularities have also been found in the contract for the operation and delivery of the STP.
Giving details of the incident, Mr. Dobal said that the body of operator Ganesh Lal, who was on duty at the STP, was found lying near the stairs outside the plant on the morning of July 19.
On receiving the information of the incident, Pipalkoti outpost in-charge sub-inspector Pradeep Rawat from Chamoli police station along with other policemen reached the spot.
He said that prima facie the death of the operator appeared to be due to electrocution and the police personnel did not enter the premises due to fear of electrocution.
He said that the police entered the STP premises only after lineman Sain Singh confirmed that there was no current in the STP.
Mr. Dobal said that in the meantime, a large number of residents gathered demanding that the body should not be picked up until compensation is given to his family members.
They said that lineman Sain Singh informed lineman Mahendra Singh about a person lying dead but he did not pat heed to it. After a shutdown, he rectified the fault and then restarted the system without any investigation.
The officer said that due to this, the electric current spread and there was an explosion in the open line and the changeover in the STP, after which people started falling one after another due to electrocution.
He said that the investigation is being done by Inspector Kuldeep Rawat, in-charge of Chamoli Kotwali.
In view of the seriousness of the matter, three teams have been formed under Pramod Shah, the Circle Officer, and instructions have been given to look in-depth into several points including electrical equipment safety standards and contract conditions in the operation of the STP.
