Rescue teams on Friday spotted the sixth body from the devastating flashfloods that hit the Manuni rivulet near Dharamsala earlier this week. The body, identified as Nitin, son of Sanjay and a resident of Pankura in Fatehpur, Kangra, was seen upstream of the Manuni rivulet, but continuous heavy rainfall is hampering its retrieval, officials said.
Nitin was among several labourers working on the under-construction Manuni-2 Hydroelectric Power Project, a sister unit of the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Power Project, when sudden flashfloods struck the region on Wednesday evening.
A magisterial inquiry has already been launched to determine the cause and accountability of the incident. SDM Mohit Rattan, who is leading the investigation, confirmed that six bodies have been recovered so far. More labourers remain missing, though 170 workers trapped near the project site were rescued on the day of the incident. One more labourer was later found alive in a nearby forest.
On-Site Probe and Multi-Agency Involvement
District Magistrate Hemraj Bairwa has directed multiple departments — including Forest, Police, Jal Shakti, Electricity Board, Labour, Mining, Him Urja, and the District Disaster Management Authority — to assist in the inquiry. The SDM-led panel has been instructed to submit its report within 48 hours.
The team will visit the site on Saturday to assess damage, identify lapses, and evaluate vulnerabilities that may have contributed to the disaster. “The focus is on understanding what went wrong and how such tragedies can be prevented in the future,” said the DM.
Project Work Halted, Labourers Sent Home
All construction activities at the power project site have been suspended, and most labourers have been relieved and sent back to their native places. However, 20 workers have been retained temporarily to help clear debris from the landslide-hit kutcha road so that inquiry officials can access the site.
The flashfloods, triggered by sudden heavy rainfall, have once again highlighted the risks faced by infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive hill regions, raising serious concerns about worker safety, project preparedness, and environmental oversight.
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