MP: Six youths drown in two Ganesh immersion incidents on Anant Chaturdashi
Synopsis
Two drowning tragedies on Anant Chaturdashi claimed six lives across Madhya Pradesh's Bhind and Dhar districts. Three teenagers remain missing in the Kwari River in Bhind, while three young men were pulled from a Badnawar pond and declared dead — the latest in a recurring pattern of immersion-day fatalities that raises urgent questions about festival safety protocols.
Key Takeaways
Six youths were killed or are feared drowned in Madhya Pradesh on 25 September 2026 , during Anant Chaturdashi Ganesh idol immersions.
In Bhind district , teenagers Krishna Bhadauria , Abhijit Bhadauria , and Madan Bhadauria went missing in the Kwari River ; an SDRF search was underway.
In Dhar district , Pawan alias Kanha Rathore (19), Rahul Prajapat (20), and Nihal Bhambhi (21) drowned in a pond in Badnawar and were declared dead at hospital.
The incidents occurred between 4:30 pm and 5 pm in Bhind; rescue teams including SDOP Ravindra Vaskale and SHO Brijendra Singh Sengar responded.
Immersion-day drownings are a recurring pattern across MP, Maharashtra, and Telangana during Ganesh Chaturthi each year.
Six youths were killed or are feared dead in two separate drowning incidents in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, 25 September, as they immersed Ganesh idols during the Anant Chaturdashi festival. The tragedies unfolded in Bhind and Dhar districts within hours of each other, triggering rescue operations and widespread grief across both regions.
Bhind District: Three Teenagers Missing in Kwari River
In Bhind district, three teenagers aged around 16–17 years drowned while immersing a Ganesh idol in the Kwari River at Kanavar village under Umri police station limits. The incident took place between 4:30 pm and 5 pm, shortly after villagers had completed havan and puja rituals and made their way to the riverbank for the immersion.
According to police, the three youths waded into a deeper section of the river and were swept away. Eyewitnesses raised an alarm and several villagers who knew how to swim entered the water to search for them, but were unable to locate the youths due to the river's depth and strong current.
The missing youths were identified as Krishna Bhadauria, Abhijit Bhadauria, and Madan Bhadauria, all residents of Kanavar village. Umri Station House Officer (SHO) Brijendra Singh Sengar reached the spot with police personnel, and SDOP Ravindra Vaskale also visited to oversee rescue efforts. A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was summoned, and the search operation was underway as of last reports.
Dhar District: Three Youths Pulled from Pond, Declared Dead
In a separate incident in Dhar district, three youths drowned in a pond on Dolchi Road in Badnawar while immersing a Ganesh idol. Residents pulled them out of the water and rushed them to Badnawar Civil Hospital, where doctors declared all three dead.
The deceased were identified as Pawan alias Kanha Rathore (19), Rahul Prajapat (20), and Nihal Bhambhi (21). Their deaths triggered panic in the area, with the families of the deceased and a large number of residents gathering outside the hospital.
Pattern of Immersion Drownings on Anant Chaturdashi
The twin incidents reflect a recurring pattern observed annually during the Ganesh Chaturthi immersion season across India. Anant Chaturdashi, the final day of the festival, sees massive crowds at rivers, lakes, and ponds — many of which have unpredictable depths and currents, particularly during the active monsoon season. This is far from an isolated occurrence; drowning fatalities during idol immersions have been reported across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana in recent years, prompting calls for better crowd management and swimmer deployment at immersion sites.
Rescue and Administrative Response
In Bhind, the SDRF search was ongoing, with divers reportedly deployed given the strong current in the Kwari River. In Dhar, police registered the deaths and initiated inquest proceedings. Senior district officials in both districts were monitoring the situation. No official statement from state authorities had been issued at the time of this report.
With the Anant Chaturdashi immersion season continuing into the evening hours across Madhya Pradesh, authorities in other districts have been put on alert to prevent further tragedies.
Point of View
But they are not surprises. Immersion-day drownings recur every Ganesh Chaturthi because festival fervour consistently outpaces safety infrastructure at water bodies. The absence of mandatory lifeguard deployment, barricading of deep zones, and real-time crowd control at immersion ghats is a policy failure that authorities acknowledge in hindsight and ignore in preparation. Six families are in mourning today across Bhind and Dhar; the question that needs answering is why the administrative playbook from last year — and the year before — did not prevent this.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened during the Ganesh immersion in Madhya Pradesh on Anant Chaturdashi 2026?
Six youths drowned in two separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh on 25 September 2026 during Ganesh idol immersions on Anant Chaturdashi. Three teenagers went missing in the Kwari River in Bhind district, and three young men drowned in a pond in Badnawar, Dhar district, where they were later declared dead at hospital.
Who are the victims of the Bhind drowning incident?
The three missing youths in Bhind have been identified as Krishna Bhadauria, Abhijit Bhadauria, and Madan Bhadauria, all residents of Kanavar village and aged around 16–17 years. They went missing in the Kwari River while immersing a Ganesh idol between 4:30 pm and 5 pm.
Who died in the Dhar district Ganesh immersion drowning?
The three youths who drowned in a pond on Dolchi Road in Badnawar, Dhar district, were identified as Pawan alias Kanha Rathore (19), Rahul Prajapat (20), and Nihal Bhambhi (21). Residents pulled them from the water and took them to Badnawar Civil Hospital, where all three were declared dead.
What rescue efforts are underway in Bhind?
A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was summoned to search for the three missing youths in the Kwari River. Umri SHO Brijendra Singh Sengar and SDOP Ravindra Vaskale were at the scene overseeing the operation, which was ongoing due to the river's depth and strong current.
Why do drowning incidents happen during Ganesh idol immersions?
Immersion-day drownings occur because large crowds gather at rivers and ponds — many of which have unpredictable depths and strong currents, especially during the monsoon season. Inadequate safety measures such as the absence of lifeguards, cordoning of deep zones, and crowd management at immersion sites have repeatedly been cited as contributing factors in past incidents across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana.
