Shimla police introduces river guard system to prevent drownings

As per the data, about 105 persons, including 21 women and nine children, have drowned in the district since 2018

Police on Thursday introduced a river guard system in the district to prevent the frequent drowning incidents, especially during the ongoing monsoon season.

Drowning-prone stretches in rivers, rivulets and drains have been identified and the process of installing big and clear signages, indicating danger along the roadside and dangerous rivers beds with a history of people getting drowned is going on. (AQIL KHAN/HT)

As per the data, about 105 persons, including 21 women and nine children, have drowned in the district since 2018. Of these, 17 persons were reported dead this year.

The maximum number of incidents, 22, were reported from Chirgaon in Rohru sub-division, followed by 19 in Rampur, 13 in Kumarsain, nine in Theog, five each in Jhakri and Jubbal and four each in Sunni and Dhalli areas of the district.

“A majority of those who drowned were young. Such deaths bring a lot of pain to the families of the deceased and a series of operations are required to rescue the drowned or recover their bodies from water,” police said.

“These incidents increase during the monsoon season as rivers are in spate and, therefore, we have introduced the river guard system in the district to save precious lives,” said superintendent of police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi .

“Police constables and homeguards, along with motorcycles and mobile parties are being deployed at vulnerable points that are prone to drowning incidents and all station house officers have been directed to hold meetings with local people to spread awareness,” he said, adding that Panchayats and NGOs would also be roped in.

Drowning-prone stretches in rivers, rivulets and drains have been identified and the process of installing big and clear signages, indicating danger along the roadside and dangerous rivers beds with a history of people getting drowned is going on, he added.

The state revenue and disaster management authorities have also advised the residents and tourists to avoid venturing along the banks of the water bodies.

Asking the people to take caution, principal secretary (Revenue) Onkar Chand Sharma on Tuesday quoted the tragic incident of June 2014, when about 24 engineering students from Hyderabad, who were taking photographs, drowned in Beas River near Thalot village in Mandi district.