An FIR has been registered against officials, employees, and contractors of the Ajanta Hydro Power Project for negligence after five workers drowned at their plant near Kadana Dam in Gujarat's Mahisagar district. The bodies were recovered on Saturday evening, over 50 hours after the Thursday incident, police said. Deputy Superintendent Kamlesh Vasava stated that action will target those found responsible, with initial investigations naming firm owner Jaysukh Patel, currently on bail in the 2022 Morbi bridge collapse that killed 135 people.

The accident occurred when 15 workers entered a large well for maintenance, and water from the Mahi River surged in due to upstream dam discharge. Ten escaped safely, but five went missing. Ajanta Energy operated the project under an MoU with Kadana Irrigation and a lease from Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited, according to Mahisagar Collector Arpit Sagar.

The unnamed accused are booked under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 125(1) (endangering life through rash acts), with potential additional charges. No arrests have been made yet, as the probe continues.

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Such incidents reflect persistent safety gaps in Gujarat's hydropower sector, where monsoon floods and poor maintenance protocols have led to rising fatalities. Experts call for mandatory risk assessments to safeguard workers in vulnerable dam sites.

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