BHOPAL: Despite the bitter experience of a tragedy while partying and celebrating on a boat five years ago, youngsters were again spotted partying on boats in the Upper Lake on Saturday night, leaving the administration high and dry. A video showing the entire episode went viral as someone made a video from VIP Road and uploaded it on social media.
However, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has swung into action after the video went viral. But fingers have also been raised at the BMC administration over its apathetic attitude over the monitoring and regulation of boats. Earlier, on March 21, 2016, five youngsters drowned when their boat capsized while they were partying at Bhopal’s Lower Lake. Youngsters of the Bhoi community had used BMC boats from the Kali Mandi Ghat and the boat capsized as they were dancing after drinking liquor.
An urban housing and development department team, led by the then UAD PS, Malay Shrivastava, had investigated the matter and, along with BMC officials, had made recommendations to the BMC administration regarding conservation of the ghats and regulation and monitoring of boats. But the BMC administration set aside the recommendations. However, BMC’s lake conservation cell has given the assurance that an investigation will be carried out into how the youngsters accessed the boats at Upper Lake in the night.
‘Irresponsible behaviour’
"BMC is investigating which people were partying on the boat during pandemic times despite being aware of the boat tragedy several years ago. The video shows that they were using boats on the Upper Lake. People should also realise their responsibilities during pandemic times. It’s very unfortunate that the public is still not realising the gravity of such misadventures," said Santosh Gupta, lake conservation officer, BMC.
