Hyderabad: Management of the city-based engineering college, whose 24 students were washed away in gushing dam waters in Himachal Pradesh while on a study tour, on Monday said it had obtained consent from all parents concerned for the trip, which ended in a tragedy.
A group of 48 students of VNG Vijgana Jyothy Engineering College, along with three faculty members, was on a study tour when 24 of the pupils were washed away last evening when they were clicking pictures on the banks of river Beas in the hill State.
According to C Kiran Mai, Vice-Principal of the private institute, the college had obtained consent from the parents of all students for the study tour which was part of their curriculum for the 2nd year B Tech course (Electronics and Instrumentation).
As per the schedule, the students were supposed to visit 126 MW Larji hydel power project on river Beas near Thalot, 40km from Mandi. However, it was cancelled due to shortage of time, she said.
The group and faculty members had left for Himachal Pradesh on June 3 for a ten-day industrial study tour.
"We had taken consent for the tour from parents of the students. The tour was part of their curriculum. As per the schedule, they were supposed to visit the (Larji) power station. But they cancelled the visit due to a tight schedule," Kiran Mai told PTI today.
The Vice-Principal`s assertion came in the wake of allegations by some parents that the college management did not inform them about the tour.
The group, which was proceeding to Manali from Kulu for a night halt, made a brief stopover near a dam at around 6.30 pm for clicking pictures on the banks of river Beas. Two dozen of them were washed away in sudden release of huge quantity of water in the river from the reservoir of Larji.
A pall of gloom descended over the college after the news of the tragedy reached here.
