A 15-year-old boy was drowned at a border waterfall while six youths from Sanquelim were rescued after spending a night stranded near another waterfall in two separate incidents that unfolded within hours of each other. The tragedy and the narrow escape have once again exposed the growing disregard for official advisories urging people to stay away from waterfalls and other monsoon hotspots, where water levels can rise suddenly following heavy rainfall upstream. Despite of repeated warnings from the government, many irresponsible youngsters are indeed entering rivers, waterfalls, lakes, streams, abandoned quarries and other water bodies, especially during the monsoon in the name of exploring nature and dying under tragic circumstances. Of course, after taking note of a series of drowning incidents, the district administration administrations of North Goa and South Goa have now imposed a 60- day ban on swimming, bathing and entering natural water bodies across the state. Well, the above ban should be strictly implemented in the state and those still venturing into hazardous locations during the ongoing monsoons should be taken to task or put behind bars.
JERRY FERNANDES, Saligao
