The Madhya Pradesh government has established a one-member judicial commission to investigate the tragic cruise boat accident at Bargi Dam, which resulted in thirteen fatalities. A senior official confirmed on Sunday that the panel, chaired by retired High Court judge Sanjay Dwivedi, has been tasked with delivering a comprehensive report within three months of its formal notification in the state gazette.
The incident occurred on April 30 in Jabalpur district when a vessel operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department capsised. While twenty-eight passengers were successfully rescued, thirteen individuals — including women and children — lost their lives. This judicial inquiry has been prioritised over a standard departmental probe to ensure greater public transparency and institutional accountability.
Justice Dwivedi’s commission will scrutinise the primary causes of the capsise and evaluate the effectiveness of the subsequent rescue and relief operations. Beyond establishing responsibility for the lapse in safety, the commission is mandated to develop robust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the maintenance and operation of watercraft and water sports. This includes the mandatory formation of Quick Response Teams at all major tourist hubs.
Also, this study will concentrate on implementing long-term changes through formulating requirements regarding the audit and certification of all inland vessels. The regulations formulated will be consistent with the provisions of the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, and the National Disaster Management Authority’s boat safety guidelines of 2017 in order to ensure that such a tragedy is not repeated in the future.
Also read: Jabalpur Boat Mishap: Remaining missing bodies found; toll at 13
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