Patiala: Despite ban, youths continue to swim in canals

Patiala, May 12

Despite a ban on bathing in the Bhakra Main Line (BML), which has virtually become a “death trap”, youths continue to make mockery of the administrative orders and risk their lives.

In the past two months, around 10 people have died while many others had a narrow escape following the fast current. Two Patiala youngsters — both students of the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law — drowned mysteriously last week when their bodies were recovered later from the canal. Last year five children and a man drowned in a pond near Sahnewal village in Ludhiana.

Two days back the district administration ordered a ban on all swimming and bath-related activities in the canals. Patiala Additional District Magistrate Gurpreet Singh Thind, while exercising his powers under Section 144 of the CrPC, issued orders barring the general public from bathing and swimming in canals. The Additional District Magistrate said legal action would be taken against those violating these orders.

In spite of ban by the district administration, locals, especially youths, continue taking bath in canals and rivers flowing through the district with the law enforcing agency turning a blind eye to the menace.

Daily from morning till late evening, children continue to take dips in these waters, flouting all rules and safety warnings. Many schoolchildren can be seen bathing and swimming in these canals and channels, while youngsters can be seen sipping beer and liquor as well.

The canal has turned into a “death trap” for youngsters was proved by the fact that every summers, three to five youths lose lives in the BML particularly, for their fetish for bathing in the flowing water. Earlier, too, there has been hue and cry over the long-standing problem, but the administration had failed to take any action for a long time. The BML turns a favourite spot for fun-loving youths, who in their quest to find some respite from scorching heat, descend at the Nabha road bridge and the Samana-Sangrur road bridge to enjoy bathing at these two points. Interestingly, both points had adjacent police station and police post but this did not deter the enthusiastic budding swimmers.

Senior police officers said swimming in these canals had been banned and they would start arresting those who flout the rules. “We will take strict action to avoid any untoward incident in future,” they said.