A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into the boat capsize incident in Gujarat's Vadodara where as many as 14 school kids and two teachers lost their lives.
An association of families of victims of the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy has moved the top court alleging that in the last decade alone, hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured across 11 incidents of bridge collapse and 12 instances of capsizing of boats, the IANS reported.
The association through this PIL has prayed for constitution of an expert committee to examine the reasons behind the repeated occurrence of tragedies, including the role and involvement of State actors and contractors.
The PIL raised concern over continuous incidents of similar nature taking place across India and states that many of these tragedies have a “common template” and sought a coordinated and systemic solution on an urgent basis.
The plea claims that the cumulative negligence of municipal bodies and contractors is responsible for such tragic incidents.
"While legal proceedings are underway to fix liability for the Morbi tragedy, the State of Gujarat has already seen further incidents of bridge collapse or boat capsizing or similar incidents involving the cumulative negligence of municipal bodies and contractors," the IANS reported quoted the PIL.
The PIL says that when mishap takes place, the municipality blames the contractor while the latter pleads ignorance on the ground that it has no technical knowledge or expertise.
The petitioners have alleged that neither the municipality nor the contractor carries out proper repairs, maintains necessary equipment, provides life guards and life jackets, regulates the number of people allowed at once onto public facilities like lakes, bridges, etc., and “police conduct a hurried and shoddy investigation, aggravating the injustice caused to the victims.”
The petitioners have suggested that the committee constituted by the apex court should lay down guidelines with regard to fixing liability (tortious and criminal) and award of adequate amount compensation.
The PIL also demanded that the investigations in all such tragedies should be carried out by an independent agency and monitored by the concerned High Court or the Supreme Court to ensure that the powerful players in the system (rich corporations, state actors and politicians) are not spared.
In the tragic accident on January 18, a boat carrying a group of students and some teachers on a picnic in Harni Lake capsized due to overloaded. This lead to drowning of 14 school kids and two teachers.