Four bodies recovered after 40 hours, one missing in Mahisagar Ajanta Hydro Power Project accident

A serious accident occurred at the Ajanta Private Limited Hydro Power Project near Tatroli, in Mahisagar district after three lakh cusecs of water were suddenly released from the Kadana Dam on Thursday.

Five workers working inside the plant’s well went missing. After 40 hours, the bodies of four workers were recovered, while a search operation by the fire brigade continued for the remaining missing workers.

On Saturday, Gujarat’s Education Minister Dr Kuber Dindor visited the Ajanta Hydro Power Plant in connection with the incident.

Dindor held discussions with officials, consoled the families of the deceased, and instructed authorities to speed up the operations. Meanwhile, Ajanta Energy Private Limited announced financial assistance of ₹25 lakh each for the families of the deceased workers.

Four deceased identified

• Narendra Kumar Solanki – Godhra
• Shailesh Kumar – Daulatpura
• Shaileshbhai Machhi – Dolatpura
• Arvindbhai Damor – Akaliya

Mahisagar District Collector Arpit Sagar said on Friday, “The incident occurred at the Ajanta Hydropower Project in Dolatpura village, Lunawada. Fifteen people were inside at the time and according to initial information, ten have managed to get out, while a rescue operation for the remaining five continued yesterday. By 4 pm, the municipal fire team and SDRF had reached the site. The NDRF team was informed and arrived by 1 am, conducting search operations until 5 am…”

A survivor recounted, “Around 3 pm, there was a sudden blast nearly 200 feet below inside the plant. Water rushed in so forcefully that no one had time to react. At that time, there were more than 15 workers inside the plant. Ten of them managed to escape. Those who could swim or grab onto something survived, but five workers were swept away by the current.”

As soon as authorities were informed, the district administration and senior officials rushed to the spot to oversee the rescue operations. NDRF teams are continuing the search for the missing worker, while efforts are also underway to pump out the water accumulated inside the hydro power facility. However, since one worker remains untraced, the families are left in distress and despair. Senior officials remain on-site, closely monitoring the situation.