DHARMAPURI: Residents and business owners in Hogenakkal have urged the police and revenue department to improve vigilance along the Cauvery due to an increase in drowning incidents. Over the past 35 days, eight people have drowned and residents said lack of awareness about the dangers of Cauvery water was the reason.
Hogenakkal is one of the popular tourist destinations in Dharmapuri. Residents of the Hogenakkal panchayat rely on the tourists for livelihood. However, their businesses are threatened when tourists are not concerned about safety. Residents have urged the police and revenue department to intensify surveillance and mark danger zones to prevent people from entering treacherous waters.
Speaking to TNIE, Prabhu, a coracle operator and a shop owner, said, "After two years of the pandemic, normalcy is returning and our lives are slowly recovering. But an increasing number of tourists have drowned recently. Many tourists opt to swim in the river. The Cauvery water, even during the drought, is dangerous and even experienced could drown. Moreover, the uneven water bed leads to the formation of dangerous whirlpools. Many tourists are unaware of this and end up injured or dead. Tourists should be made aware of the dangers."
Thirumalai, a resident of Hogenakkal, told TNIE, "The police and revenue staff could set up routine patrols along the banks. Anyone ignoring the warning signs should be fined."
A former home guard from Hogenakkal said, "Home guards were responsible for patrols and security in the tourist area. However, these areas were left unmonitored since the outbreak of Covid. Home guards should be brought back to duty to improve security," he said.
Speaking to TNIE, a policeman in Hogenakkal said, "We have 23 staff in our station. Apart from normal cases, we tightly monitor the shores. We have placed warning signs in five languages and visual indicators to warn tourists. But despite the warnings, they venture into the water." Sources added that they have increased the number of patrols in the area.
According to sources in the fire department, "A team will be stationed at Hogenakkal at all times to ensure the safety of tourists. The team will have at least four or five swimmers. Apart from our team, most coracle operators and local swimmers also monitor the situation regularly and help us in rescue operations."
Suresh Kumar, a coracle operator who often aides the fire department said, "Tourists ignoring warnings and trespassing into danger zones are the main reasons for worry. While coracle operations have life jackets and other safety measures in place, these trespassers don't have them. Several areas of the river banks are not under surveillance and that is where tourists flout rules."
Officials in the Block Development office said, "More than 800 life jackets are available and these are regulated by a private contractor. We also regularly monitor the situation to ensure that the operations are in order."