Thalot (Mandi), June 14
The massive search operation launched by the state government today failed to recover the bodies of the 16 students washed away in the Beas on June 8, dashing the hopes of the victims' relatives.

The state government has now decided to use the sight-scan radar system to locate the bodies in the Pandoh Dam tomorrow.

The search operation was carried out between 7 am and 10 am by controlling the water in the Parvati II and Larji power projects to keep the flow down stream minimum.

After reducing the water flow in the 3.5-km stretch from the spot of the mishap and the tunnel of the Larji project, about 500 personnel from various agencies carried out the operation.

The search teams tried to locate the bodies believed to be trapped under boulders and trenches in the river, but to no avail.

Telangana Police DSP M Srinivas fainted during the operation and was admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma, Home Minister of Telangana N Narsimha Reddy, Telangana MPs Jitedner Reddy and Vinod Kumar, MLA Jai Ram Thakur and Mandi MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, besides parents and relatives of the students were also present at Thalot during the search operation.

Telangana’s Deputy Chief Minister M Chinna Rajappa also reached to take stock of the situation.

Mandi DC Devesh Kumar said: “From tomorrow morning, we will use the sight-scan radar system (multi-beam sonar technology) to locate the bodies in the dam.” He added: “The radar emits sound wave and takes images in water more than 10 meters deep. It would be kept on a raft on which divers would also sail and on getting any wave signal they would try to pull the object out.”