The Unnumbered Victim of Harda's Deadly Factory Blast
Two years have passed since a catastrophic explosion ripped through an illegally operated firecracker factory in Bairagarh, Harda, claiming thirteen lives instantly and injuring over two hundred workers. While compensation cheques were distributed and official procedures slowly unfolded, one family remains trapped in a painful limbo.
A Life Suspended Between Hope and Despair
For the family of thirty-year-old Kailash Khapre, time has stood still since February 6, 2024. Kailash is neither counted among the deceased nor present among the living. Reported missing following the devastating blast, he has become the unnumbered fourteenth victim of this industrial tragedy.
His elderly parents in Teeri village of Khargone district face grief without closure. His three young children, now aged five, four, and three, grow up amidst profound uncertainty. His wife, unable to bear the interminable wait, has returned to her parental home, leaving the children with grandparents who struggle to survive on a single acre of land.
"Sometimes we think he will return, sometimes we fear he may never," said sixty-five-year-old Raju Khapre, Kailash's father, his voice trembling between fragile hope and exhaustion. "I have nine children. Kailash was my third. He went to Harda for work barely three months before the accident. We searched everywhere—hospitals, records, people—but found no trace of him."
The Cruelty of Legal and Bureaucratic Inertia
Unlike the families of the thirteen confirmed victims, who each received government compensation of Rs 21.5 lakh, Kailash's family remains ineligible for any ex-gratia assistance. Current legal provisions offer them no relief, as a person can only be declared dead when mortal remains are found or after seven years of continuous disappearance.
"I have a big family to feed and only an acre of land to live off," Raju explained. "Kailash left behind three small children—a daughter and two sons. They are too young to understand what they are faced with. We are managing somehow, but it is very difficult. A little help from the administration would be of great use to his children."
Stark Contrast in Administrative Response
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the district administration acted swiftly. Properties of the accused were attached, assets were auctioned, and approximately Rs 5.34 crore has been distributed as compensation so far. Officials have assured that additional relief will follow once the National Green Tribunal, where the matter remains sub judice, issues its final order.
However, for Kailash's family, these legal procedures provide little comfort. His absence has placed them in a cruel bureaucratic limbo—without proof of death, there is no compensation; without compensation, daily survival becomes an immense struggle.
"The tragedy did not end for us that day," Raju stated poignantly. "It continues every morning when the children wake up asking about their missing father."
Administration's Response and Future Uncertainty
Harda Collector Siddharth Jain has acknowledged the family's dire predicament. "We will look into the norms and try to provide some financial assistance through the Red Cross as an interim relief. Further decisions will be taken in light of the NGT final order," the Collector stated.
As Madhya Pradesh marks the second anniversary of one of its deadliest industrial disasters, the haunting story of Kailash Khapre serves as a powerful reminder. The aftermath of tragedy cannot always be measured in confirmed deaths and compensation cheques to next-of-kin. For some families, the suffering continues indefinitely, trapped between hope and bureaucratic reality.
