Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], July 31 : At least four Kanwariyas from Chandigarh drowned while bathing in a prohibited stretch of the Ganga River in Haridwar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the deceased were part of a group of around 16-17 Kanwariyas. Four members of the group allegedly ventured into a restricted stretch of the river instead of using the designated bathing ghats and drowned after getting trapped in deep, slushy waters.
Haridwar Superintendent of Police (City) Abhay Pratap Singh said the police have initiated all necessary legal formalities, including inquest proceedings and post-mortem examinations.
Speaking to ANI, SP Singh said, "A very tragic incident occurred today. Some Kanwariyas entered the river in a restricted area instead of using the designated ghats (bathing steps). Because the water in that specific area was very deep and filled with silt/mud, they got stuck. Unfortunately, four Kanwariyas died due to drowning. The police are currently carrying out the necessary legal proceedings, including the inquest report and post-mortem examinations."
Appealing to devotees to exercise caution, the SP urged them to bathe only at the designated ghats where adequate safety measures have been put in place.
"Through your medium, I want to make a humble appeal to all devotees: please bathe only at the safe ghats designated by the administration. At those locations, we have deployed the necessary police, water police, SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) components. Please follow the warning boards that have been installed and do not bathe in restricted areas under any circumstances. Even a slight bit of negligence can lead to an irreparable loss for you and your family," Singh said.
The officer said the four deceased were residents of Chandigarh and had travelled to Haridwar as part of a larger group of Kanwariyas.
"These devotees were residents of Chandigarh. They were part of a group of about 16 to 17 people. Four boys from the group entered the water at a spot that was far from the city and in a deserted area. Warning boards were placed there, and it wasn't even a proper ghat. Due to the muddy and deep water at that spot, they were caught in it and, unfortunately, passed away. Our water police, SDRF, and NDRF teams reached the spot immediately and launched a rescue operation, but unfortunately, they could not be saved. The bodies of all four boys have been recovered. The inquest and post-mortem proceedings are currently underway," he further added.
The police reiterated their appeal to all Kanwar pilgrims and other devotees to avoid entering prohibited stretches of the Ganga and to use only the designated ghats where rescue personnel, including the Water Police, SDRF, NDRF and local police, have been deployed to ensure public safety. Warning boards have also been installed at restricted locations, the police said.