Four minor Kanwar pilgrims drown in Ganga canal in Haridwar
Four minor Kanwar pilgrims from Chandigarh drowned in the Ganga Canal near Jatwara Bridge in Haridwar on Friday after they ventured into the midstream, apparently misjudging the depth of the water amid low water levels caused by silt-cleaning operations, police said.
The deceased, aged between 16 and 18, were part of a group that had come to Haridwar for the Kanwar Yatra and were returning after collecting Ganga water. According to police, the group stopped at a ghat along the Ganga Canal near Jatwara Bridge in the Jwalapur area to bathe. During this time, one of the Kanwariyas began to drown.
His three companions entered the canal in an attempt to rescue him but failed to gauge the depth of the water, and all four went missing.
Police said it was reported that the water level in the canal was low due to ongoing silt-cleaning operations, prompting the Kanwariyas to venture into the midstream, where they became trapped and drowned.
Panic spread at the spot following the incident. On receiving information, Water Police, local police and other rescue agencies reached the site and launched a search operation. Haridwar Superintendent of Police (City) Abhay Pratap Singh said the bodies of all four Kanwariyas were recovered from the canal after an extensive search operation.
The bodies have been sent to the district hospital for post-mortem examinations, he said. The deceased were identified as Shivanshu (16), Nitesh (17) and Bharat (17), all residents of Sector 16 in Chandigarh, and Rohit Prajapati (18), a resident of Sector 26/30.
In a separate incident at Haridwar’s Kangra Ghat, two Kanwariyas who were swept away by the strong current of the Ganga were rescued by a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team. They were identified as 18-year-old Sudhish Thakur and 28-year-old Rahul, a resident of Baghpat.
The Kanwar Yatra, which spans about a fortnight, commenced on Thursday. The Ganga is currently in full spate due to continuous rainfall in the state in recent days.
Singh said that during the Kanwar Mela, police and the administration have been constantly urging devotees to bathe only at designated and safe ghats and avoid venturing into the main currents or deep waters of the Ganga and Ganga Canal to prevent such tragic incidents.
