Illegal cruise, ignored warnings: Bargi deaths point to systemic failure

The drowning of a tourist cruise in the vast waters of the Narmada at Bargi dam near Jabalpur on 30 April, which has so far claimed nine lives, lays bare the extent of administrative arbitrariness in Madhya Pradesh. The accident occurred near Khamaria island at around 5.30 pm, when a nearly 20-year-old cruise operated by the state tourism department sank. Around 35 tourists and two crew members were on board.

Emerging details suggest that mechanised boats were being run in the Bargi dam in violation of environmental laws and explicit orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Acting on a petition by environmentalist Subhash C. Pandey, the NGT in 2023 had clearly directed that diesel-powered motorboats and cruises cannot be operated in drinking water sources such as Bhopal’s Upper Lake and dams linked to the Narmada.

The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation had challenged this order in the Supreme Court, but in March 2024, the court upheld the NGT ruling, calling it appropriate for environmental protection. Despite this, motorised cruises continued to operate in the Bargi dam, allegedly with the consent of both the tourism corporation and the district administration.

Diesel-powered boats release sulphur and other chemicals into the water, harming aquatic life, disrupting biodiversity, and reducing the natural purification capacity of water bodies. Aquatic organisms play a crucial role in maintaining water quality; their decline leads to deterioration in water purity. Sulphur contamination, in particular, is toxic to such organisms.

On the day of the incident, a sudden storm whipped up high waves, and the cruise began to submerge. Local residents said the weather deteriorated rapidly, and the situation spiralled out of control within minutes.

Among those on board was Kamraj Arya, an employee of the Ordnance Factory Khamaria in Jabalpur, who had come with around 15 family members for an outing. While his parents remained on the dam’s edge, he boarded the cruise with his wife, sister-in-law and children. Kamraj and one of his sons were rescued, but several members of his family remain missing.

The tragedy appears to be a stark example of profit-driven negligence and disregard for safety norms. The meteorological department had issued a yellow alert a day earlier, warning of strong winds of 40–50 kmph. Despite this, the cruise was allowed into the dam waters at around 4.30 pm on Thursday. Soon after, strong winds caused it to capsize. The vessel reportedly sank to a depth of about 20 m and could only be retrieved nearly 24 hours later. In order to recover bodies, parts of the cruise vessel had to be cut open.

Survivors said no life jackets were provided to passengers either while boarding or during the ride. Jackets were handed out only when water began rapidly entering the vessel, leading to chaos and scrambling among passengers.

In the immediate aftermath, local labourers working nearby managed to rescue around 29 people using ropes and their own swimming skills. State disaster response teams and other authorities, however, appeared ill-equipped, citing darkness, lack of equipment, water depth and rough weather. By the time official rescue efforts gathered pace, the situation had already turned critical.