Team Herald
PONDA: Following the deaths of two Vasco youth in the ‘deadly’ Kodar River and past drowning incidents highlighted by Herald, the government has issued an order banning bathing by visitors in the river.
On April 26, Herald had carried a report that a number of persons had met watery grave in the river in the past few years. Herald had also reported that hundreds of picnickers gain free entry into Kodar River through government agricultural land and that the spot is dangerous. Thereafter, on April 30, two Vasco youth drowned at the same spot.
As a follow up, Herald filed another report on May 2 about the negligence of authorities towards the safety of picnickers.
On the same day (May 2), Agricultural Minister Vijai Sardesai issued an order to Director of Department of Agriculture to restrict the entry of visitors through agricultural land at Kodar to save the precious lives.
In his direction, the minister said that in past ten years twenty lives have been lost in the river and in the recent incident Vasco two youth drowned.
Had the entries been restricted, these lives could have been saved, Vijai wrote.
