For want of a proper alarm system to warn the people prior to the swelling of the river Tons due to excessive rains, police are being forced to plunge into an operation to rescue the stranded at Guchhupani known also as Robbers’ Cave, a tourist spot in Dehradun. This has happened twice in one week.
The cops themselves say that a big mishap can happen any time unless the administration rises to the occasion and put into place a proper alarm system that would warn the tourists against moving deep into the river flowing through the cave.
With summer vacation on in most of the schools, students, youths and others aside from the tourists from other states are coming to the Robbers’ Cave in large number.
With the onset of the monsoon, things are turning perilous for the fun- loving people thronging the cave as the water level of the river Tons rises precariously fed by the gushing water from the hills.
Cantt police station inspector Harish Mehra said that there is no alarm system which directs the visitors to vacate the area in case of overflow of water in the river.
“We are unaware of when the water level would rise,” he said.
Some policemen are deputed there and they inform the police control room in case of any person getting stranded at Guchhupani.
The police and firemen had rescued 12 persons who had been stranded at Guchhupani with the water level of Tons having risen dangerously following heavy rainfall reported in Tehri, Mussoorie and other parts of the state on Wednesday evening.
City police control room was informed about the incident at 7.30 pm by the local residents, he said, adding that the joint team of the police and fire brigade had launched a rescue operation with the help of ropes and other equipments.
He further said that as many as 15 tourists, including five children, had been rescued by a joint team of police and fire brigade from Robber’s Cave on June 19 when the same happened following heavy rainfall in its catchment area of Tehri and Mussooire.
“A message was flashed by the city control room that some tourists were trapped in Tons river in Guchhupani,” he said. “But we think that a permanent and a more effective mechanism should be put into place immediately.