Two more people drowned at Nilapani lake, located in the Yeoor range of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Thane, on Monday, taking the total number of deaths at the same spot to four in two days. The local police have now written to the forest department, seeking measures to stop people from entering the lake.
According to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) officials, the two youth who drowned on Monday have been identified as Tejas Chorge and Dhruv Kule, both aged 17. Officials said that the duo had been to the lake along with their friends Himanshu Wagh, Soham Karandikar, Deep Mhatre, Aryan Kalgutkar and Atharva Avate in the morning. The group entered the lake for a swim, and at 10.05am, Chorge and Kule were caught by the current and drowned.
Their friends immediately raised an alarm, after which authorities from Vartak Nagar police station as well as TMC, regional disaster management cell (RDMC), Thane disaster response force and the Wagle Estate unit of Thane Fire Brigade rushed to the spot and undertook a search and rescue operation in the lake. “Chorge’s body was found in the lake around 12.45pm, while at 6.30pm, Kule’s was recovered,” a civic official said. The police have registered an accidental death report.
On Sunday, two persons – Prasad Pavaskar, 16, and Juber Sayyed 20 – had drowned in the lake. The police said despite repeated efforts, picnickers continue to enter the lake – which is forbidden. “The picnickers enter the dense forest area – which makes it difficult for the authorities to track them – and then enter the lake. So providing timely help becomes difficult as the spot is far off and not easily reachable. On Monday, we wrote to the forest department, asking them to put up signboards warning visitors against entering the forest and the lake,” inspector Santosh Ghatekar, Vartak Nagar police station said.
{{/usCountry}}On Sunday, two persons – Prasad Pavaskar, 16, and Juber Sayyed 20 – had drowned in the lake. The police said despite repeated efforts, picnickers continue to enter the lake – which is forbidden. “The picnickers enter the dense forest area – which makes it difficult for the authorities to track them – and then enter the lake. So providing timely help becomes difficult as the spot is far off and not easily reachable. On Monday, we wrote to the forest department, asking them to put up signboards warning visitors against entering the forest and the lake,” inspector Santosh Ghatekar, Vartak Nagar police station said.
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