Despite all claims made by the administration that foolproof safety measures have been taken at water picnic spots for visitors during the New Year, it claimed another life on Tuesday. A youth from Hazaribagh lost his life while enjoying a picnic party at the Dasham water falls. He has been identified as Shashi Bhushan Mehta, who was studying in class 10 at St Stephens School in Hazaribagh.
"Mehta is said to be a student of class 10 at a school in Hazaribagh, who drowned after he lost balance allegedly while being photographed by his friends at Dasham falls this morning," said Bundu DSP. Mehta, despite being warned by the teacher, forcefully went into the deep water to get a better picture in the camera, said a student.
According to the police, the group of about 40 students of a coaching centre in Hazaribagh had organized a picnic party at Dasham falls, about 40 km from the district headquarter Ranchi and the mishap took place within an hour they reached the spot. The tutor, who owns the coaching Centre, arranged the picnic for all his students.
"The incident took place between 11:00-11:30 am, within a short while after they reached the spot," added the DSP. Offcials of the district administration as well as Tourism Secretary Sajal Chakraverty rushed to the spot to look into the matter. The body was yet to be recovered by the police and the local divers have been put into the job.
Dasham falls, one of the major tourist spots during this festive season till date, has claimed over 100 lives since the year 2000. Administration, after repeated incidents of drowning had claimed that Dasham falls would be made accident free and geological scientists and engineering experts had been roped in to make it a safe zone for the tourists.
Two massive holes were found under the water which allegedly worked as a trap for those who go there for taking bath. All the tourists who venture deep into water slip inside these holes resulting to deaths. One of the holes is just under the main stream and receives regular water swirls. Rocks surround the next hole that causes drowning, grave injuries and death.
The State Tourism department was said to have filled up the surface with concrete so that no one get caught in the water. The department was also to hire locals as guards who would also guide the visitors and stop tourists venturing near the water. Meanwhile, CCl in association with the tourism department was to construct a grilled railing around the holes to alert the tourists.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, two engineers — Prem Saurabh 26, of Jamui in Bihar and Om Prakash Gupta 24, of Garhwa in Jharkhand —also got drowned in Tilaiya Dam at Koderma. Both were working at the Koderma Thermal Power Plant located hardly a km away from spot. Sources said, Prem Saurabh lost his life while saving Om Prakash who was shouting for help after he lost control while taking bath in the dam.
Similarly, a 19-year engineering student died while taking bath at Tenughat dam during a picnic. Sudhakar Prasad, alias Sushant, hailed from Petarwar and was a first year student at Durgapur Engineering College in West Bengal.