Anger against the organiser of the Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony is mounting after 13 people died due to heat stroke while attending the event held on Sunday in Kharghar. A section of social activists from Kharghar has decided to approach the local police station to register a case against the organiser.
Demand to book organiser for culpable homicide
Ajit Adsul, a social activist who is also attached to the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) of the Kharghar unit, said that they have decided to submit a letter to Kharghar police to register a case against the organiser of culpable homicide. He added, “It is shocking that the government machinery maintained secrecy on the health condition of attendees,” said Adsul.
A total of 13 Sri members including 9 women and 4 men, died after attending the event in the scorching heat in the open. At present, 12 persons are still admitted to different hospitals and are undergoing necessary treatment.
Adsul says that the administration showed partiality while providing sheds. “When they erected sheds for officials and VIPs, who stopped them to set up the same for attendees,” asks Adsul, adding that a thorough investigation should be carried out to find the negligence and who was behind the disastrous planning.
There was no semblance of planning: NatConnect Foundation
The Kharghar tragedy is absolutely shameful as it happened during the felicitation of a renowned social worker, said NatConnect Foundation.
“There was not even a semblance of any planning as it was done during the height of the heat wave with no shade at all. The entire area is absolutely barren with not even a blade of grass around, let alone any tree cover,” said NatConnect director B N Kumar.
This reflects the pathetic urban planning that focuses only on creating concrete jungles that reflect the heat and not on urban forests that give us the cool, Kumar said.
Incident happened due to negligence of govt agencies: Activist
Moreover, the hills in Kharghar are also being denied all forest cover with CIDCO not executing its own plan to develop a nature park on the hill stretch. The nature park, planned in association with BNHS, is gathering dust now on CIDCO shelves, NatConnect pointed out.
Rajeev Mishra, a civic activist whose PIL unearthed over 90 illegal buildings on MIDC land in Navi Mumbai, said that the Kharghar incident happened due to the negligence of government agencies. “A thorough investigation is required to bring out the poor planning,” said Mishra.
