Seven drown in Banas river in six days, advisory for tourists to avoid water bodies in Gujarat

The local administration issued warnings for residents of Vadgam taluka on August 29 after 300 cusecs of water was released from Mukteshwar Dam to Saraswati river in the district.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Sanjay Kumar Chauhan, District Project Officer (Disaster Management) of Banaskantha said, “In the past six days, NDRF team has recovered three bodies from Juna Deesa, two bodies from Chhatrala, one body from Malgadh and one from Vadaval. Through the use of public address system, panchayat meetings and advisories in local news channels and newspapers, we have been warning villagers to not swim or wash clothes in Banas river during the monsoon period as water levels may rise unexpectedly. Many victims of the tragedy lived in villages located on the banks of Banas river. We have an NDRF team stationed in Banaskantha for any emergency response and they have been working for the past two weeks.”

Similarly, the local administration issued warnings for residents of Vadgam taluka on August 29 after 300 cusecs of water was released from Mukteshwar Dam to Saraswati river in the district.

From September 5 to September 10, Bhadarvi Poonam fair is going to be held at Ambaji temple in Banaskantha where several lakh devotees are expected to arrive at the temple on foot. The devotees usually walk through the hilly areas of Banaskantha to reach Ambaji temple. According to police, over 7000 police personnel will be deployed along with teams of NDRF, SDRF, health, fire, and local administration for the fair. Police will also be monitoring the religious procession using drone cameras and CCTV cameras.

In the wake of the recent tragedy in Banas river, the local police are now discouraging devotees from bathing, swimming or washing clothes in check dams, waterfalls, and other water bodies in the forest region of Banaskantha.

“Devotees traveling towards Ambaji temple from September 5 are advised to not stop at water bodies, especially check dams and waterfalls to bathe or wash hands/feet and clothes. Teams of Gram Raksha Dal (GRD) will also be deployed at crucial water body points to deter people from entering them for their own safety,” read a statement from the office of Akshay Raj Makwana, superintendent of police, Banaskantha.

Ahead of the festival, the local administration has also been put on high alert to deter people from entering water bodies.

‘The local administration has been asked to install billboards to discourage tourists from entering the water bodies. We will also get the support of GRD police personnel in the operation. There are designated selfie points for tourists in Ambaji and other areas of Banaskantha but many people avoid warnings and wander further in water bodies,” added Chauhan.