SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Team Herald
BICHOLIM: The Bicholim police on Monday morning recovered the body of a 17-year-old boy, who drowned in the Tillari irrigation canal at Usap-Nanora.
The police gave the name of the victim as Deep Bagkar, a resident of Dhargalim, Pernem.
The tragedy occurred on Sunday evening when a group of five youths picnicking at a farm, decided to go for a swim in the Tillari irrigation canal, situated nearby.
The group of youths had come to the farm in the afternoon.
According to the locals, the deceased was trying to gauge the depth of the canal with a stick but suddenly slipped into waters and was carried away to about 100 metres even as his friends ran after him in a bid to save him, but in vain.
The Bicholim fire personnel with a boat and also with the help of locals had launched a search operation on Sunday evening. They continued the search operation on Monday morning and removed the body.
It is learnt that the officials of Tillari irrigation project too helped them by reducing the flow of water in the canal so as to launch a search operation.
The Bicholim police later conducted the panchanama and sent the body to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim, for post-mortem examination.
Stone quarries will be fenced: CM
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said that in the wake of deaths due to drowning in the State, the government has started the process of fencing some of the abandoned laterite mining quarries.
Speaking to reporters after holding a joint review meeting with various government departments, Navy and Railways on monsoon preparedness and disaster management, Sawant said, “Directions have been issued. In fact, fencing has started at some places. It will take at least two or three months.”
Urging the people to avoid swimming in quarries and canals, Sawant said quarries are deep and it is difficult to gauge their depth, while in case of canals the water flow is very fast.
Meanwhile, GOACAN coordinator Roland Martins welcomed the order issued by the South Goa Collector, Asvin Chandru A, prohibiting swimming in waterfalls, abandoned quarries, rivers, lakes and other water bodies in the jurisdiction of South Goa District for a period of 60 days to prevent drowning incidents.
