ISRO scientist drowns in village pond

BARGARH:  A 27-year-old scientist of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) died after drowning in the pond in Jharpali village under Ambabhona block here on Monday morning. He was identified as Nihar Ranjan Pradhan. The scientist had come to his native village Jharpali on Saturday.

Family sources said Nihar was on a 15-day leave. On Sunday, he participated in the ‘Nama Jagyan’ which is being organised in the village. The next morning, he went to the village pond to take a bath. However, he accidentally drowned in the pond. 

Some villagers spotted him in the water body and he was rushed to the hospital in Bhukta. But the doctor declared him brought dead. Police have registered a case and sent Nihar’s body to Bargarh for autopsy.  
Nihar had graduated in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) after passing out from Kedarnath Adibasi High School at Ambabhona.

Last year, the young scientist received an offer to join the ISRO. He joined the space agency in January 2021. Nihar was posted at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, the lead centre of ISRO responsible for design and development of launch vehicle technology.

Nihar’s untimely death cast a pall of gloom in the region.  A villager of Jharpali said, “We were all happy as Nihar had come to the village after a long time. We are yet to come to terms with the tragic loss.”