PANAJI
Poriem MLA Deviya Rane said the Class 11 student who drowned at the Tonir-Kajredhat waterfall in Sattari had reportedly joined the excursion without informing the teachers and had gone towards the water on his own.
Addressing the media on Saturday, Rane said the students were being monitored and that warning signs had been placed at the site. "The entire batch of students was monitored. The student went without informing, and there was a board giving a warning," Rane said.
Rane said people often venture into waterfalls and other water bodies despite safety warnings and later blame the government when accidents occur. "Not only the government, but everyone has to take responsibility," she said.
She clarified that the waterfall does not fall under the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) but comes under the Forest Department, as it is located within the sanctuary jurisdiction.
Rane further pointed out that several water bodies and abandoned quarries across Goa remain unmanned and fill up during the monsoon. She said people often enter such places without understanding the depth or other risks involved.
Rane urged the public to follow safety warnings and avoid entering waterfalls and other dangerous water bodies, particularly during the monsoon.
