Ranchi administration is yet to trace the body of a youth who died on the very first day of this New Year on Wednesday at Dasham falls after he slipped down to the strong currents of water while jumping over to the other side of the crevice formed due to regular flow of water.
This is the second consecutive casualty at Dasham falls after a Class X student from Hazaribagh, during a picnic party with his tuition mates on December 24, lost his life after losing balance while posing for photographs taken by his friends. “We have not yet recovered his body while the local divers are regularly searching for it since yesterday,” said Bundu BDO Sunil Chandra who was on law and order duty at the spot on Thursday.
According to Chandra, the victim has been identified as Suman Mando who was working at the Jindal Steel Plant at Patratu hailing from Ashok Nagar area under Argora police station in Ranchi while the two persons who accompanied him were still traceless who were also said to be from Patratu.
Chandra said that adequate safety measures have been taken at the main crater and has been fenced with barbed wires and a temporary wooden bridge has also been made to cross the other side of the crevice for the convenience of the people to avoid any untoward incident but he tried to jump on the other side and slipped down to the water. “As there were a large number of people already in the queue, that person took a short cut and tried to jump to the other side just beside the bridge and lost his life,” said the BDO.
Despite Tourism Secretary Sajal Charavorty declaring Dasham falls as danger zone and his appeal to the people to avoid going there, but hundreds of over enthusiastic crowd, mostly youths, thronged on the spot to celebrate this New Year, said Chandra. The administration has appointed as many as 32 locals divers for the assistance of the picnickers and manage the crowd which goes there in this festive season.
“All of 32 divers from the locality have been appointed on daily basis to be present there wires throughout the year as a safety measure. They will also guard the barbed wires of being burgled,” he added. New Year celebrations also claimed several lives throughout the state in road accidents on Wednesday including three youths at Booty Road in Ranchi one other who got killed near Makoli More at Nawadih block in Bermo.