New Tehri (UKD), May 3 (PTI) SDRF personnel rescued 30 tourists from drowning in Dobra-Chanti lake area here after a fierce thunderstorm snapped the axle joints of their floating huts, causing the structures to tilt dangerously.
The incident took place on Saturday evening.
A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team from Koti Colony launched the rescue operation around 7.45 pm and evacuated all guests to safety as high waves and gale-force winds caused the huts to drift.
The incident drew immediate comparison to the Jabalpur cruise tragedy on April 30, where 13 people died after a boat capsized in the Bargi Dam on Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh during a similar storm. Officials noted that timely intervention by the SDRF in Tehri prevented a repeat of the Jabalpur disaster.
Acting District Magistrate Varuna Agrawal on Sunday ordered a high-level probe into the technical failure and suspended all operations at the site.
A five-member inquiry committee headed by the Tehri sub-divisional magistrate will submit a report within four days. The panel will investigate structural integrity and the lack of safety protocols.
“There is currently no Standard Operating Procedures for operating these floating huts. Preliminary findings suggest the axle joints broke during the storm,” Agrawal stated after an onsite inspection.
The Uttarakhand Tourism Department constructed the 22 floating huts in 2015-16. Private firm Le Roi has been managing the facility under a Public-Private Partnership mode since the 2020-21.
Tehri Senior Superintendent of Police Shweta Choubey said neither the tourism department nor the operator informed local police about the emergency.
The administration has now directed all boat operators in the lake to remain on high alert following continuous weather warnings. PTI COR AKY AKY RUK RUK
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