Patna: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the drowning of three children in the Ash Dyke Lagoon constructed by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in the Kanti area of Muzaffarpur district.The commission has issued notices to the chairman and managing director of NTPC and the senior superintendent of police, Muzaffarpur, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.In its notice, the commission said, “A huge amount of coal ash is stored by the NTPC in these ponds. Reportedly, no warning boards were installed in the area.”The NHRC observed that the incident, if true, raised serious concerns over the violation of human rights.“According to the reports, no security personnel have been deployed to restrict the entry of villagers to these ponds to collect coal residue to sell in the market,” the commission said.TOI had reported in its July 11 edition that three minor boys drowned in Dyke Lagoon-3, a fly ash pond near the NTPC premises in the Kanti police station area, on July 10.According to police, the boys from Kanti Kothia village had gone to bathe near the NTPC premises when they accidentally ventured into deep water and drowned. When they failed to return home, family members and local residents launched a search operation.After prolonged efforts, the bodies of all three children were recovered from the pond with the help of local residents. Kanti police reached the spot, took custody of the bodies and began an investigation.The deceased were identified as Ayush Kumar (11), Aarav Kumar (12) and Deenanath Kumar (12), all residents of Ward No. 16 of Kanti Kothia village.
