Bhubaneswar: The District and Sessions Judge Court, Khurda, on Tuesday ordered Odisha government to pay Rs 25 lakh each to the families of seven students of University College of Engineering (UCE), Burla, who were killed due to release of excess water from Hirakud Dam on January 30, 1998 without siren.
The court directed the state government to pay the compensation within three months to the families of the deceased students.
Notably, on the fateful day eight students of the UCE were taking pictures in Mahanadi river bed. The dam authorities opened nine sluice gates without prior warning causing flood in the river and seven students were swept away except one who managed to save himself.
The state government had ordered for an RDC probe which pointed fingers towards carelessness of engineers of the dam.