P E R S P E C T I V E

River safety
Himachal
Letting the waters swallow lives
The sudden release of water from the 126 MW Larji Barrage on the Beas in Mandi on June 8 that washed away 24 students has exposed the absence of a river monitoring cell and a forewarning system in HP
By Kuldeep Chauhan
There is no integrated early warning system or river monitoring cell at dam sites and the entry point of major rivers upstream in the state to forewarn downstream residents and tourists — mainly in Manali and Shimla-Kinnaur tourist circuits.

River safety
UttarakhanD
Not heeding to warnings reason for fatalities
Adventure sports at Rishikesh and Uttarkashi draw tourists in hordes, but many lives are lost due to negligence.
Gaurav Talwar
The issue of riverfront safety in Uttarakhand has again come to the fore after the drowning of two Russian tourists in the Bhagirathi river on the Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district last week.

River safety
Himachal
Letting the waters swallow lives
The sudden release of water from the 126 MW Larji Barrage on the Beas in Mandi on June 8 that washed away 24 students has exposed the absence of a river monitoring cell and a forewarning system in HP
By Kuldeep Chauhan

Wading through waters for taking pictures can be dangerous, considering the volume and current may change suddenly. Tribune photo: Amit Kanwar

There is no integrated early warning system or river monitoring cell at dam sites and the entry point of major rivers upstream in the state to forewarn downstream residents and tourists — mainly in Manali and Shimla-Kinnaur tourist circuits.

The river monitoring cell at Khab, where the Sutlej from Tibet meets the Spiti river, is non-existent. There is none at Solang in the uphill of Manali or at Manikaran and Bhuntar, where the Beas meets the Parbati, to sound an alert during any emergency.

Natural disasters usually strike in the state between June and September. The threat in rivers multiplies during these months because of the fast-melting snow and the monsoon, which increases discharge in rivers and dams.

Neither the project authorities nor the state government seem to have learnt any lesson from the flash floods in the Sutlej, Beas, Pabbar and Ravi and their tributaries. In the last 40 years, flash floods triggered by cloud bursts and breach of high-land lakes (of the Sutlej) in Tibet have killed over 324 persons, damaged power projects and transmission lines, IPH schemes, national highways, agricultural lands and bridges and communication links. The loss has been estimated at about Rs 55,000 crore.

“Action soon”

"Everybody should learn a lesson from the June 8 tragedy. The 3-km dam site stretch will be fenced. All power project and disaster management authorities will follow safety norms and early warning system strictly. Those found guilty in the Larji dam water release case and illegal mining will face strict action."

Virbhadra Singh, Chief minister

“Advisory in place”

"We have advisories for tourists on personal safety on our website and at tourist information offices at Bilaspur, Kullu-Manali, Shimla and Reckong Peo. We give out pamphlets at the green tax barrier in Manali and the information centre, guiding tourists on safety and risks in adventure sports."

Mohan Chauhan, Director, tourism

“Regulate activities”

"We need strict regulation of activities like paragliding, rafting, and trekking. The June 8 incident was a collective failure. The tourism department should enrol and register operators, and inspect equipment and dark spots for safety enforcement. There should be an umbrella association for rafting which can be held accountable."

AR Thakur, president, Manali hoteliers association

“Block illegal entry”

"It’s fashionable to add new names like apple tourism and hydro-tourism, but there is no stress on regulation and safety. The mindset to earn the maximum from tourists must change. We must have an emotional bond with visitors. All illegal entry points to fun joints in the waters should be removed. Tourists must be warned about danger spots."

Dr Chandra Mohan Parshira, Dept of tourism and vocational studies, hp university

Major tragedies

June 8, 2014: 24 engineering students and a tourist guide from Hyderabad were washed away in the Beas river near Thalot on the National Highway-21 river after the sudden release of water from the Larji project barrage.

May 9, 2013: 32 people, all locals, drowned in the Beas near Jhiri on the Mandi-Kullu stretch after a private overloaded and speeding bus plunged into the river.

June 26, 2005/ July 31, 2000: The Parechu river (Tibet) struck its lethal blow but no lives were lost as thousands of people were evacuated following an alert.

August 2000: The Sutlej river level rose by 60 ft above the normal level, killing 135 persons and 1,700 cattle head; and damaging 200-km stretch of the NH-22, 32 bridges, 22 “jhulas”, vital communication links, 1,000 irrigation, sewerage, flood protection and water supply schemes, and the Nathpa Jhakri Project. The loss was estimated at about Rs 1,466 crore.

August 11, 1997: The flash flood in Andhra and Pabbar rivers claimed 124 lives in Chirgaon (Rohru subdivision); damaged Andhra project powerhouse; and washed away a fish farm.

September 29, 1988: The cloud bursts in Sholding khad, a tributary of the Sutlej in Kinnaur washed away as many as 32 persons, 35 cattle head and a 2-km stretch of the National Highway-22. It also damaged the Bhawa project.

Recent years: Over two dozen tourists have been killed in freak accidents while river rafting in the Beas, paragliding at Solang Nullah, river crossing at Manali, and rope-trick “jhula” at Kufri.

Danger spots

Chandigarh-Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Rohtang highway (NH-21)

• Barmana-Ghagas stretch: A speeding vehicle can be swept way while negotiating the 3-km stretch along the Sutlej.
• Mandi-Pandoh Dam: The Beas river can trap you in its deceptive, deep blue waters. This stretch, like the Larji Barrage-Thalot river stretch, carries released water from dams. Usually it carries little water.
• Pandoh Dam-Hanogi-Larji-Thalot-Aut stretch: It has crash barriers now. Strong wind and speeding can lead a vehicle into the Beas river that runs parallel to the road. Shooting boulders and landslides occur during monsoon.
• nBahang-Nehru Kund: The road uphill of Manali faces danger of rockslides during monsoon. There is danger of flash flood from Fingri nullah and Beas Kund area during the rains.
• Tricky stretches: One should be cautious at the road stretches along Dev Dham, Raison, Pirdi and Jhiri on the highway.

For contact, complaint: Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation: 0177-2625864, 0177-2623959, 0177-2925924; e-mail: tourismmin-hp@nic.in; website: www.himachaltourism.gov.in.

River safety
UttarakhanD
Not heeding to warnings reason for fatalities
Adventure sports at Rishikesh and Uttarkashi draw tourists in hordes, but many lives are lost due to negligence.
Gaurav Talwar

The issue of riverfront safety in Uttarakhand has again come to the fore after the drowning of two Russian tourists in the Bhagirathi river on the Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district last week.

Every year in Uttarakhand, people, especially tourists, lose their lives by drowning in rivers due to their negligence or due to government’s failure to put in place safety measures along banks.

As the season for adventurous sports on the Ganga sets in, famous hubs like Rishikesh, and Uttarkhashi draw a huge number of tourists to experience the thrills of whitewater rafting and kayaking.

Predominantly, the cases of river drowning are limited to few districts such as Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Hardwar and Uttarkashi as the Ganga flows through these districts. Most fatal incidents take place in Rishikesh. Some cases of drowning are also reported from lakes in Nainital but the numbers are negligible.

About 21 persons drowned in the Ganga in the last three years in the Laxman Jhula police station area in Rishikesh. In Hardwar, 100 people, most of them tourists, drowned in the Ganga from 2012 to May 2014. About 53 persons were washed away in the gushing waters in the Muni Ki Reti police station area of Rishikesh between 2010 and 2014. “Most people died due to carelessness as they ignored the warnings on the signboards,” a police official says.

Dharmendra Bhandari, who is associated with rafting business in Rishikesh, says: “There are a number of dangerous stretches on the Ganga like Mala Khunti, 10 km before Shivpuri village in Rishikesh and Kodiyala. There are no warning signboards here, or are very small and not noticeable due to which tourists tend to step into the treacherous waters.”

In March 2013, the death of 23-year-old Prashant Pandey, a tourist from Delhi, while rafting in the rapids near Rishikesh, forced the authorities to stop rafting in the Ganga. The authorities claim that rafting companies do not use proper gears and life jackets and the head gear is not of the desired quality. Due to this, victims are either fatally injured or they drown.

At least five young lives were lost this year just because they could not control the adrenaline rush and stepped into the Ganga for bathing, ignoring the complex currents of the river.

Experts say rapids and rip currents are the two major dangers associated with any river. In Ganga, the volume of water changes the nature of these rapids every day. “Rapids are classified from class I to class VI. Class I is the most easy and safe, and class VI is the most dangerous. On the Ganga, most of the rapids fall in the class III category. Mishaps occur due to the negligence of tourists who disregard instructions and precautions,” says Mudit, an adventure sports expert.

“A mantra that can save lives is that a river should not be compared to a swimming pool. Even the best of swimmers have a hard time tackling the complex currents of river waters,” he adds.

“Safety in place”

"Drowning takes place when vehicles plunge into rivers, or during adventurous sports activities and due to negligence when people step into river for bathing or taking pictures. We have installed safety chains at a number of places in Rishikesh and Hardwar. Signboards have been installed. The ‘Jal Police’ is deployed at danger spots."

Ram Singh Meena, ADG (law and order)

“Spreading awareness”

"The government is doing everything for ensuring riverfront safety for tourists. We are installing signboards on riversides and running local awareness programmes and training programmes for adventure sports organisers to minimise fatalities."

R Rajesh Kumar, MD, garhwal mandal vikas nigam

“Respect power of water”

"Tragic incidents can occur anywhere in the world. We must respect the power of water and should not try to get into rivers without taking safety measures or consulting river guides. Most incidents occur due to negligence. The government learns from every incident and steps are taken to improve river safety."

Dinesh Dhane, Tourism minister

Major tragedies

June 10, 2014: Two Russians drowned in the Bhagirathi after their Tempo fell into a ditch. About 10 Russians were injured in the accident.

May 2014: A 48-year-old Russian adventure sports enthusiast drowned after his boat capsized on the Ganga in Uttarkashi; two youths from Uttar Pradesh slipped into the deep waters while bathing in the Ganga in Rishkesh and drowned.

March 17, 2013: 23-year-old Prashant Pandey from Delhi was killed during rafting in the Ganga near Rishikesh.

2013: A 40-year-old rafting guide drowned in the Ganga near Rishikesh after saving six tourists from Delhi, when the raft carrying them overturned. The mishap occurred at Shivpuri.

June 10, 2013: A 30-year-old woman tourist from Delhi drowned in the Ganga at Rishikesh when her raft overturned.

2012: Two women drowned in the Bhagirathi in Joshiyara area of Uttarkashi district while they were bathing on the occasion of Basant Panchami.

November 10, 2007: Two persons were washed away during the testing of water gates at the Maneri-Bhali hydro electricity project in Uttarkashi.

2006: Three persons were washed away when water was released from the site of the Maneri-Bhali hydro electric project.

Danger spots

• The 135-km stretch between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi is full of dangerous rapids although it is a favourite stretch for foreign tourists.
• A majority of mishaps have taken place between Kodiyala and Muni-ki-Reti.
• The 32-km stretch between Ghansali and Gadolia on the Bhilangana river.
• The 17-km stretch between Bagwan and Deoprayag on the Alaknanda.
• Stretches along the Alaknanda, Dhauliganga and Kali rivers.

Dos

• Keep numbers of tourist information offices or police station handy; or dial toll-free 108 for ambulance.
• Reduce speed at bends and curves.
• Before undertaking high-altitude treks, inform local authorities such as the SDM, police or tourism office.
• Hire services of registered travel agents, guides and operators.

Don’ts

• Stand at the edge of a cliff or on any boulder near a river bank for taking pictures. A misstep can mean death.
• Overtake vehicles at bends.
• Speed and travel at night. Hill roads are slippery in the rains and there is danger of landslides and rock-falls.
• Rafting without proper kits and crash helmets in non-registered rafts is dangerous. The raft should have a river guide, insurance cover and a rescue raft for at least six riders. Rafting is not allowed beyond rapid class-II grade.
• Be coerced into shopping or sight-seeing tours by touts, taxi drivers or strangers.
• Cross river in ‘jhulas’ or streams on foot.

Paragliding warning

Flying in old paragliders, with uncertified pilots, is dangerous. One can break one’s leg or even die in a mid-air collapse.