​Two women drown, another 12 injured as overcrowded boat capsizes in Godavari on Jalna-Beed border

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Two women drowned and around 12 others were injured after an overcrowded boat carrying nearly 40 people capsized midstream in the Godavari river, near Golegaon in Partur taluka of Jalna district, on Wednesday morning, exposing glaring lapses in safety and passenger limits.

The accident occurred around 10.30am when the private boat, ferrying women devotees returning from darshan at the Purushottampuri temple, in neighbouring Beed district, overturned. Preliminary findings point to overloading as the key cause.

The deceased have been identified as Kanta Andhale (60), from Kumbhephal in Buldhana district, and Pramila Sheshrao Rathod (55), from Chorpangra village in Lonar taluka, also in Buldhana. All other injured women were taken to a hospital in Ashti and are reported to be stable.

Partur tehsildar D N Jadhav said the preliminary findings indicate that the accident was caused by the overloading of the boat beyond its capacity of roughly 30 passengers, and the vessel appears to have overturned while negotiating its way around another boat coming from the opposite direction. “Rescue teams, nearby boat operators and residents present on the other bank of the river quickly rushed to help the affected pilgrims and pulled them out of the water. The boat was carrying all women devotees and most of them did not know how to swim,” he said.

Eyewitness accounts from survivors echoed the same concern, blaming the operator for ignoring repeated warnings. “The boat operator continued to accommodate passengers one after another to earn more money. We objected to such overcrowding, but he downplayed our fears,” a survivor told local reporters.

The swift response by local residents, boatmen and rescue teams prevented the tragedy from escalating, as several women were pulled out in time despite panic and chaos in the water.

Authorities said a fleet of private boats routinely ferries pilgrims across the Godavari to the temple, especially during the ongoing Adhik Maas, which sees a surge in footfall. Despite the summer season nearing its end, the Godavari water level remains significant due to releases from the Jayakwadi dam.

Officials admitted that regulatory efforts had not fully translated on the ground. “In the recent past, tenders were issued with an aim to ensure a set of rules and regulations for the boat service. However, no bids were received for the tender. From our side, warning signs and safety messages were issued on different parts of the river bank,” Jadhav said.

Jalna district collector Ashima Mittal said an official probe would determine the exact cause and fix accountability. Beed district collector Vivek Johnson also said an inquiry by the sub-divisional officer will be launched. “We will be holding a meeting to take stock of the existing situation and take a call on necessary precautionary measures to ensure safety around the temple.”

Given the huge footfall of devotees, the Beed district administration has made arrangements to manage the crowd.

Late in the evening, authorities held a joint meeting with villagers and boat operators to decide whether the boat service should be suspended or not in view of the risks. No case had been registered in connection with the accident till then.

The incident has once again raised concerns over unchecked overcrowding and inadequate enforcement of safety norms in informal river transport systems, even as lakhs of devotees continue to throng religious sites along the Godavari.