Bengaluru: With selfie-related deaths spiralling at important tourist destinations, the top brass of the state tourism department is mulling deployment of personnel belonging to newly-raised tourist police force to dissuade youth from risking their lives.
Recently, three medicos were washed away in the river Cauvery while they were clicking a selfie, standing in a canal in Mandya district. A few months ago, two youth lost their lives when they were clicking pictures of themselves on a hillock. “It is really a matter of grave concern, and my department feels that it is the right time to do something before the situation goes out of control,” G Satyavathi, director, department of tourism, told DC. She said she was moved by the tragic death of three medicos who died while taking photographs in a canal in Mandya. “It is hard to imagine the great loss to parents of those medical students. The need of the hour is to evolve a mechanism to deter youth from indulging in such (mis)adventure,” she added
She said though it would take a long time to address this issue, as immediate relief, the department could consider deployment of traffic police personnel at tourist spots categorized as dangerous spots. They would be asked not to allow tourists, especially the youth from crossing the danger area, just to take their selfie and post it in social media. More police personnel are likely to be posted on public holidays and weekends. Though warning sign boards are put up near all such spots, people take risk resulting in death. “If guards are posted at one place, people find out other routes to go near the waterfalls or climb atop of hillock just to take selfie. If something happens, who is responsible—the security guards or selfie craze youth?” she asked.
She assured to take up the issue with officers of her department as also with tourism minister R V Deshpande and find a solution to this craze. First, the authorities ought to identify places of tourist importance which are high risk and then work on deployment of tourist police personnel. “We can do whatever possible from our side but ultimately it is for the youth to realize that their lives are more precious than selfies,” she added.
