Despite the water level in the river being significantly low, courtesy the blazing summer season, the youth still could not have guessed the depth. Two of his friends fished him out of the water, but it was already too late. This means that they could not notice that he was drowning, well in time. There have been many incidents in the past where people have drowned in the Dudhsagar river before and the reason was their ignorance despite issuance of warnings. This raises questions as to why people prefer to visit places where danger lurks almost all the time. Of course, many lean towards adventures due to the thrill and adrenaline rush it offers. However, it is of utmost importance to take precautions as it could cost one his/her life.
Trek to Dudhsagar is adventurous which is the reason why one cannot take a car to the spot. The route towards the waterfall after crossing Collem river is inappropriate for the regular automobiles. The respective road comes under the jurisdiction of the forest department and hence, cannot be hot-mixed. The journey towards the fall through this road is risky and one has to either trek or take a jeep safari to the final destination. Even if one takes a jeep safari, he/she will have to walk for almost a kilometer from the base to the falls. The obstacle-ridden journey is indeed worthy of the heavenly view it offers. This explains peoples’ enthusiasm to endure such an exhausting expedition. What adds to the risk, however, is visitors’ desire to get into the waters.
There are signages alerting the trekkers and visitors regarding the potential dangers and yet, these are blatantly ignored. It is possible to get into the waters while also taking precautions, but people fall prey to their over-excitement and lose their lives. The visits to the falls are banned during the rainy season but as soon as the monsoon starts receding, people start crowding there again. There are two spots at the falls which are frequently visited. The river that forms after the waterfall flows through Goa and understandably, the crowd here is majorly of people who travel there from the State. Hence, the responsibility of this region falls upon the Goa government. The State has been taking all the necessary steps and has appointed lifeguards at the falls. However, there have been recurring incidents of people not listening to them. The area where the recent incident took place comes under jurisdiction of Karnataka and the precautionary steps are advised there as well.
The disrespect meted out to the lifeguards appointed at the beaches in Goa is also a matter of concern. The visitors venture deep into the sea while turning a blind eye to the signboards and the warnings given by the lifeguards. Some have also lost their lives while being engrossed in clicking selfies at dangerous spots. There are thousands of visitors present at the same time on the Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim beach stretch and it is impossible to keep watch on them for the lifeguards since they are only a handful. Hence, the red flags are erected as lifeguards survey all the area at once. The incidents which happened on the beaches receive wide coverage, but the situation is more or less the same at the other tourist spots as well. The risk also prevails at the forts, mountainous ranges, valleys, waterfalls, rivers and the spots which are at a height. A few years back a youth had lost his life under the influence of alcohol at Kavalesaad Falls in Amboli Ghat and his body was found three days later. The body was recovered only after a full-fledged search operation was launched. Following the rules and taking precautions at such spots is the only way to avoid unfortunate incidents.
