locals reaching risky areas along Ganga keeps cops on toes

local residents and visitors reaching areas marked as dangerous around the Ganga in Haridwar and Rishikesh and also around the picnic spots in the State capital and some other parts of the State have become a cause of concern for police. However, police’s experiences bear testimony to the fact that some of the tourists tend to ignore the warning inscribed on the signboards, inviting danger. 

Notably, the number of cases involving people meeting watery graves in the Ganga is alarmingly on the rise over the past few years.In a case that happened on Tuesday, Dehradun Police evacuated around 20 visitors from such areas of an eminent picnic spot, Guchupani in Dehradun, on Tuesday evening when the water level of the river suddenly increased.

A Cantt police officer said that some locals and visitors had reached dangerous areas around Guchupani on Tuesday evening. They moved far from the picnic spot, ignoring the sign boards that warn people from going near dangerous areas around it. At Guchupani, two home guards are deputed at Guchupani and entry of the visitors at picnic spot is fixed from 8 am to 6 pm. The timing, however, varies depending upon the sun light.

Interestingly, most of those evacuated were locals and they were well aware of the fact that heavy rainfall in mountainous parts on Tuesday evening was likely to result in the rise of water level in the area.Chaos happened on Tuesday evening when the water level began rising and those sporting with water started screaming for help. Some locals rushed to evacuate those stranded. The disaster control room and local police were informed and they sprang to action. SDRF personnel also rushed and conducted search operations after the stranded were evacuated.

Mention worthy, in Rishikesh, several persons died while taking dip in the river, Ganga in the areas marked as dangerous. In all these cases, they had ignored the warning pasted on the sign boards.State additional director general of police (administration) Ram Singh Meena said that signboards that warn people from going near spots marked as dangerous around it have been installed at many places along the river in Haridwar, Dehradun and other parts of the state.

As far as Guchupani is concerned  it is being observed that people are prone to move far from the picnic spot, deep  into the river Nun,   ignoring the signboards However, district police officers have been directed install more such signboards to prevent untoward incidents in the future.