E-Paper
Young blood+Adventure=Tragedy
THE GANGA barrage has lifted the spirits of adventure-seeking teenagers. The never-before-seen sight of a swollen and fast flowing Ganga has thrilled youngsters this rainy season.
THE GANGA barrage has lifted the spirits of adventure-seeking teenagers. The never-before-seen sight of a swollen and fast flowing Ganga has thrilled youngsters this rainy season.
But there is also a flip side to the breathtaking sight. The luring waterflow often makes teenagers do the unthinkable at the risk of their lives. In the absence of adequate security and entry norms, the young guns often walk into the river to commit dare devil acts.
Only in May, three students of the Harcourt Butler Technological Institute had gone to celebrate the culmination of their exams. The threesome thought of capturing the moment of standing in the midst of the fast-flowing Ganga. As they prepared to take photographs, strong current of the river took them away.
However, two of them were rescued but the third one was drowned.
The tragedy has failed to unnerve thrill seekers. Anyone on a visit to the Ganga barrage can witness teenagers moving perilously close to the river, running on the sand bed and driving over the bridge. But there is none to forbid them.
There are some who swim in the fast flowing river with animals and indulge in acrobatics to catch the eyes of onlookers. Besides, the Ganga Barrage has become a free crime zone as there is no security cover. Often visitors, who come for their evening stroll, are robbed of their valuables. Citizens feel that the Barrage could be developed into a tourist spot and revenue could be earned to support its beautification programme and security arrangements. Now, it’s for the district administration to wake and take advantage of the Barrage’s exclusive sight. The least they can do is to stop youngsters from performing dare devil acts and prevent any future tragedy.
