PANAJI
In the wake of recent cases of drowning deaths at locations outside the purview of the lifeguards, the Forest Department on Tuesday issued an order prohibiting entry for the public in all wildlife sanctuaries and waterfalls till further orders.
“Due to continuous heavy rainfall in the State and high water current in rivers in forest areas, entry for the public inside all wildlife sanctuaries and waterfalls shall be prohibited till further orders. Deputy Conservators of Forests are directed to review the situation and report,” reads the order by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden Umakant (Indian Forest Service).
Earlier in the day, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane called for a report from a senior forest official providing a risk assessment of these seasonal waterfalls. Speaking to some media persons, the minister said that a decision on reopening these waterfalls for visitors will be taken in the next three-four days after examining the report and ensuring all precautionary measures including the deployment of lifeguards.
The State has witnessed around 36 drowning cases so far with the recent being the death of two visitors to Mainapi waterfall. In this incident on Sunday, Mapusa’s LIC officer Janardhan Sadekar lost his life while rescuing another local from Vasco Shivdutt Naik. The current month saw six deaths due to drowning.
