A 19-year-old boy, a resident of Andheri, Mumbai has reportedly drowned in an abandoned stone quarry at Shirven-Chimbel. Four years after Tuem tragedy, wherein four school students met a watery grave in a laterite stone quarry filled with rainwater, it appears that the authorities concerned have not taken lessons from the incident and have failed to fence the abandoned quarries in Pernem taluka. Forget barricading them, the authorities have also failed to install signboards warning the people of the dangers except for one or two. With no fence or barricade around them, these quarries are filled with rainwater and pose danger to humans. These quarries are attracting youth, who visit the site for a swim. It is pertinent to note that the authorities encourage rainwater harvesting during the rainy season so that this water can be utilized during the dry season when there is water shortage. The rainwater that has accumulated in the abandoned stone quarries could be harvested by pumping it into overhead water tanks by the authorities which can be treated and supplied to areas which experience water shortage every year.
