MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has constituted a committee to investigate and fix responsibility for the death of a Wapda employee who was swept away by heavy water allegedly released by the Kotkay Dam authorities.
The KP Irrigation Department has formed the committee, headed by the deputy commissioner of Mansehra, with the Superintendent of Police (Investigation) and the Superintending Engineer of the Irrigation Department, Hazara Circle, as members.
“An unfortunate drowning incident was reported on May 2 downstream of Ichar Nullah, where a precious human life was lost,” a letter issued by the secretary of irrigation stated, directing the committee to complete the probe and submit its report.
The committee was constituted on the orders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati after the family of the Wapda employee, Mohammad Arshad, alleged that the dam’s spillways were opened without prior warning.
They said the deceased was on his way home after duty on Saturday evening when the spillways were opened, sweeping him away. His body was later found downstream in the Gandia area within the limits of Lari Adda Police Station.
The letter stated that the committee would determine how the incident occurred and assign responsibility if dam officials were found at fault, as alleged by the bereaved family.
According to its mandate, the committee will meet eyewitnesses, the bereaved family, and relevant officials, and record their statements. It will also visit the site, collect evidence, and examine the dam’s record, including gate operations and water release data for the preceding 27 hours.
