Punjab: In the absence of government help, private divers recovered bodies from Bhakra Canal

Punjab: Despite the rise in the number of drowning deaths every year, including murders, the families of the victims have to rely on private divers to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones from the Bhakra Canal. With no government assistance available, these divers have formed informal clubs and work independently to search and retrieve bodies from the canal flow. These divers charge families Rs 2,500 to Rs 25,000 for recovering bodies, depending on the area searched and the financial status of the deceased’s relatives. The fee goes up if the deceased is known to be wealthy. According to data collected by The Tribune, 43 bodies have been recovered from the canal in 2024 alone, including three unidentified ones. From January 2021 to August 2022, six unidentified bodies were recovered in Fatehgarh Sahib, while a total of 90 bodies were recovered. During the same period, 167 bodies were recovered from canals in Patiala, including 91 in 2021 and 76 till August 31, 2022.

While the police conduct post-mortem of unidentified bodies, they are cremated if no one claims them. For identified bodies, the police register a case and hand over the remains to the family for last rites. However, with no government help available to retrieve bodies from the canal, bereaved families turn to private divers to retrieve bodies, which often get stuck in siphons or get carried away by the current. A former SHO posted in Pasiana pointed out that if the body is not retrieved in time, it either gets caught in the net or drifts away to Haryana or Rajasthan, beyond the reach of the authorities. Another police officer, who has previously served in Khanauri, mentioned that they are constantly faced with bodies, making it difficult to prioritise searches.

Shankar, president of the Bhole Shankar Divers Club, which has assisted the police in recovering hundreds of bodies, expressed disappointment at the lack of government support. “The government has not even acknowledged our services,” he said. The divers’ work, though crucial, remains largely unrecognised and unsupported by the authorities. In 2010, the Rajasthan Assembly had raised concerns about unidentified bodies being sold in the state, which came through waterways from Punjab and Haryana. A recent cleaning drive in the Bhakra Main Line found several bodies and body parts, many of which could not be identified. “Every year more than 100 people lose their lives in the Bhakra canal due to accidents or murders,” a senior government official said.