Bengaluru: With numerous cases of drowning being reported along the Cauvery river, despite several safety measures, the adventure experts are now demanding that the government should construct bathing ponds at the tourist places as has been done on the banks of Ganga river. Four deaths were reported in the last two months and in the latest incident two days ago, two youths from the city drowned near Muthathi and got washed away amid strong currents. In an earlier incident two months ago the rescue team could not fish out body of Suresh, who too drowned in Muthathi.
The Forest department had established three check-posts along the Cauvery river at Muthathi, Sangama and Bhimeshwari to check whether the tourists are carrying alcohol with them. This had brought down cases of drowning, but officials feel that even the current death toll was a matter of concern.
Strong under-currents, presence of crocodiles and sharp rock formations makes swimming almost impossible. Most of the tourists are unaware of these dangers and a number of those who drown remain not traceable. Suresh drowned on June 15 and his parents and friends had pasted posters, having his photographs and family contact numbers, all along the Cauvery river tourist destinations, but till today there has been no trace of his body.
Vasanth Reddy, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary said that between year 2005 and 2009 total of 40 deaths were reported in Bommasandra, Sangama and Mekedatu regions of Cauvery. “In fact the death rate has come down drastically in the last three years after strict measures such as not allowing of alcohol, consumption and mass cooking along the river side was banned. Besides river, the area also has good number elephants which could turn dangerous for the visitors along the river,” Mr Reddy said.
The adventure experts are now demanding that the government must construct bathing ponds at the tourist places as on the banks of Ganga river. At number of pilgrim destinations along the Ganges the government has created safe bathing ponds where the visitors can take a dip, without endangering their lives. “At Cauvery too depending on the visitors’ volume small ponds can be identified, where bathing could be allowed. It is also important that such bathing ponds are monitored by the forest officials and trained life guards. The tourists are made to pay by the local panchayats at every tourist place along the Cauvery and might as well they use the money for keeping life guards to save people’s lives,” said a adventure expert.
