The Hooghly district admistration is concerned over frequent river drowning deaths occurring in the Hooghly river. From the day of Holi till today, a period of 12 days, 10 persons have drowned at the different Hooghly river ghats of Chinsurah, Chandannagar, Baidyabati and Konnagar.
While the bodies of eight have been recovered, two are still missing. Most of the victims are teenagers and youths Local youths have played a vital role in rescuing many people from drowning. An eye witness said most of the teenagers and youths who go into the river for a cool dip do not know how to swim. Group of friends venture in waist-deep water without being aware of the approaching tidal and river currents and are carried away.
On the other hand, trained divers are not available in the district. Local residents who live near the river ghats said poorly maintained ghats are also one of the reasons of river drowning deaths. Broken steps at the ghats are concealed during the high tide and the playful teenagers and youth unaware of the hidden danger often fall into deep water.
The concerned municipalities should take steps to repair the damaged river bank steps. Moreover, regular maintenance of the ghats should be carried on since the turbulent tidal bore often damage the steps. The Serampore police inspector-in-charge, Mr Debendu Das, said hundreds of devotees head towards the Nemain Tirtha ghat at Seoraphuli to collect holy water and disaster management group are kept on the alert with speed boats to prevent accidental drownings.
Mr Das added with the increase in the temperature, young people come to the river to enjoy a cool splash, but it has been noticed most of them don’t know how to swim. “Hence it is my earnest request to the parents and guardians to only allow their children into the river or local pond only under able guidance,” Mr Das said.