PONDA: Thousands of revellers flock Ponda Taluka during monsoon to witness the majestic Dudhsagar waterfalls and revel in the water bodies in the gushing water bodies here.
Unfortunately, many of these visitors are meeting watery grave in these water bodies. Most of the revellers die of drowning in the Dushsagar river, a tributary of Mhadei river.
Dudhsagar river enters Goa in the form of Dudhsagar waterfall from a thousand feet hill at Collem and then flows downstream from various villages of Dharbandora and Ponda talukas, where it is known by different names and finally flows into Mandovi river.
At its downstream right from Collem to Kodar, many visitors enter the river under the influence of alcohol and often end up getting drowned.
In this background, not only social workers but also NGOs like Goa Can have been demanding for enhanced safety measures to prevent untimely deaths caused due to drowning at the famous tourist spots.
Seeking better safety measures, Roland Martins, Convenor of Goa Can said Ponda should lead Goa by adopting safety measures to prevent drowning deaths as most of cases occur in the taluka.
Government has constructed a compound wall at Kodar to prevent entry of visitors for bathing in river, however visitors have been making their way to the river through points where the wall has not been erected and the stories of drowning deaths continue.
Martins said, “Not only rivers, nullahs and waterfalls but the abandoned laterite stone quarries are also filled with water and there is need to create more awareness, especially among children to prevent them from frequenting these dangerous open water bodies.”
Ponda DySP C L Patil said, “Rivers are not the place for bathing.” Recently under his leadership Ponda Police installed cautionary board at Kodar river urging visitors not enter into the river for bathing.