Mandya: Drinking and driving may have its hazards, but so apparently does drinking and swimming. A tourism department signboard near the river Cauvery in Muttathi, a pilgrim centre, tells you that as many as 241 people, mainly youth, have drowned in the river since 1990. Most were reportedly tourists swimming in the river in an inebriated condition. Some were also reportedly devotees of a Hanuman temple in Halagur , Mandya district, located close to the river, who had been feasting and drinking.
“Many youngsters who come here, get drunk and then try to cross the river for some fun. But they are caught unawares as it is very deep at certain points and drown,” says a resident of Muttathi. Aware of the many drowning in the river, the Halagur police has tried to control the sale of liquor in Muttathi and claims this has brought the number of cases so far this year.
“We have booked several persons for illegal liquor sale at the pilgrim centre, but the forest and excise officials need to cooperate with us in putting a stop to this menace, “ says one officer.
Sadly, it’s people from Bengaluru, who top the list of the dead with as many as 175 drowning in the river flowing through the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, about 80 kms from the state capital since 1990. Among the dead, 222 were male and 18, female. While 36 of the dead were not even 20 years old, 145 were between 20 and 25 years old, and 59 were over 25.
Tragically, over 45 bodies have not even been recovered, says the signboard, cautioning tourists against a whirlpool in the river that can prove extremely dangerous to swimmers.
Going by the signboard, not many drowned in the river until 2006, but the following year saw 30 deaths, the highest number recorded in one year at the spot.
