Bihar: 46 die while taking holy dip during ‘Jivitputrika’ festival

At least 46 people, including 37 children, drowned while taking holy dip in rivers and ponds in several Bihar districts during the 'Jivitputrika' festival, officials said on Thursday, 26 September.

The incidents occurred in 15 districts of the state during the festival held on Wednesday, they said.

During the three-day 'Jivitputrika' festival, women fast for the well-being of their children and take holy dips.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. The process of providing the compensation has begun, and family members of eight deceased have already received it, an official statement said.

The incidents of drowning were reported from East and West Champaran, Nalanda, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar, Siwan, Rohtas, Saran, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj and Arwal districts, the officials said.

Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary condoled the deaths and said the incident is a matter of concern.

“It is a very unfortunate incident and a matter of concern. The chief minister is closely monitoring the situation. He stands by the families of the deceased in this hour of grief,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said the administration should have made adequate arrangements at all ghats of rivers.

"It's very tragic that 46 people died yesterday in different parts of the state during this festival... The district administration should have made proper arrangements at all the ghats, not just at the dedicated ones. This shows the state government is least bothered about the lives of people,” Tiwary alleged.

Aurangabad reported the highest number of eight deaths.

Srikant Shastri, district magistrate of Aurangabad, told PTI: “The district administration makes adequate arrangements for all those who visit the dedicated ghats of rivers/ponds during the ‘Jivitputrika’ festival. Problems arise when people go to local ghats, which are not prepared by the administration,”

Echoing Shastri’s views, district magistrate of Saran, Aman Samir, said: “We repeatedly request people to visit only those ghats that are maintained by the district administration.”

Four deaths were reported from Saran.

Manoranjan Singh, a resident of Ithat village in Baraun block of Aurangabad district, whose 10-year-old daughter died while bathing in a pond, said everything happened all of a sudden.

"We don't know how it happened... my wife was performing rituals at the ghat when the incident took place. My daughter was taking a dip in the pond and she suddenly disappeared... by the time we realised that she drowned, it was too late,” a disconsolate Singh told reporters.