Srinagar: The rescue operation continued for nearly 24 hours after a driver fell into Chenab river and went missing at the Rattle hydroelectric power project site near Drabshala in Kishtwar district.
Ironically, the authorities of this project seem to be unmoved by the death of a person at their construction site and neither NHPC higher ups nor anyone from Megha Engineering Limited (the construction agency) have reached there to help in the rescue operation.
Reports said Faizan Ahmed Rather, a resident of Chilatran area of Doda district, fell into the river Chenab last evening when he was unloading a dumper at the construction site.
The dumper was retrieved from the river whereas his body is still missing.
The district administration Kishtwar with the help of local non-government organizations, SDRF and Red Cross have launched the rescue operation since the accident took place but NHPC and the construction agency officials have not even turned up from the venue.
The relatives of the missing driver and general public have been demanding fast action to retrieve the body and also book those who are responsible for the incident.
“We have been here since last night but no one from the construction company has come here to help us in fishing out the body. Their attitude is totally vindictive and careless and it seems the lives of common workers don’t matter for them,” said Shabir Ahmed, former Sarpanch of Kalihand Panchayat of Doda district, the native village of the missing driver.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kishtwar Devansh Yadav visited the site to supervise the rescue operation and asked the officers to speed up the process and push machinery into the service to trace the body.
According to the eye witnesses, the accident occurred due to loose soil in the area where the construction agency is dumping the soil to construct the dam of Rattle power project. The vehicle was moving on the loose area and during unloading the vehicle fell into the river and driver also fell inside the river.
