Keeping in mind the upcoming monsoon season and rise in the cases of deaths due drowning, Surat District Additional Collector Vijay Rabari has issued notification banning entry into 78 water bodies like lakes, ponds, river, canals, and sea in all parts of the district except those coming under Surat police commissioner’s jurisdiction. Sources said that the decision was taken as per a state Home Department notification issued on May 5. The notification stated that the Home Department has encountered incidents of deaths due to drowning in different water bodies like rivers, lakes, canals, and seas across the state, and that the local authorities should identify such water bodies and issue a notification banning people's entry. Rabari issued a notification on May 8 that states that violators will be strictly punished. The ban will on the entry into the waterbodies will remain till June 7. The 78 "dangerous places" identified are in Surat's Kamrej, Palsana, Bardoli, Mahuva, Umarpada and Olpad talukas. Tapi river ovaras have been identified in villages like Bhaliyawad, Machhiwad, Thana, Gaypagla, and Galteshwar Mahadev temple; lake areas in villages like Umber, Khandupur, Orna, Segwa, Sarbhon, Vankheda, Itarwa, Mamadev villages, Shanker talavdi, Anaval, Sunsavel, Dholkui, Maya, Kalibel, Verthi, Tadkeshwar, Nigama, Vadod, Areth. Besides, Tapi river banks in villages like Vaghecha, Bagumra, Uva, Tain, Allu, Mandvi nagar Palika area, Balavarthi, Nanichair, Moti Chair, Rataniya, Tarsada, Vaghnera, Rupan, Kakvada, Khedpur, Devghat, Varjakhan, Jakhla, Kosadi, Unn, Umarsadi, Kamalpor, Gavchhi, Pipariya, Paatna, Vareli; Ambika river banks in Kumbhkot and Bamaniya villages; Kaveri river banks in Sukhleshwar, Anaval and Umra; Vareh river banks in Picharvan, Amli, soli, Karvali, Kimdungra, Phoolwadi, Goddha, Salaiya, Moritha, Valargadh, Godsamba, Amalsadi, Nandpor, Pipariya, Bori, Godawadi, Karoli, Bori Gavchhi are also in the list. Sea beach areas in Dabhari, Morbhagwa, and Dandi villages in Olpad Taluka, and the riverfront causeway in Haripura village have also been marked "dangerous". Talking to The Indian Express, Rabari said, “After getting the notification from the state Home Department, we took note of the deaths of people in the water bodies in different villages in the district. We have banned human entry in such notified water bodies based on the casualties. Some places in these 78 locations are too dangerous. The ban will be in effect till June 7. Further decisions will be taken later.” Violators will be strictly punished, he added.
