Following a tragic incident that led to the loss of five lives in Karnataka’s Mandya district, State Minister for Water Resources, Ramalinga Reddy, has instructed officials to set up barricades along the River Cauvery at Muthathi where the incident occurred. Reddy, in a phone call with Mandya Deputy Commissioner Kumar, emphasized the installation of barricades for public safety and convenience. Additionally, he directed the authorities to identify safe areas and mark them as designated safe zones for tourists.
The Minister also urged the district administration to install visible signboards indicating safe zones and warning visitors about dangerous areas. He further instructed the Deputy Commissioner to enforce restrictions on entering the River Cauvery except in specified areas. The tragic event took place on Wednesday evening, with the victims identified as Vijayamma, Shwetha, Chaitra, Priyanka, and Mahesh, who was the family’s driver and a close friend. All were residents of Byadarahalli in Bengaluru.
Mandya Deputy Commissioner Kumar paid a visit to the mortuary on Thursday to offer condolences to the grieving family. Initial reports suggest that the incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday while the victims were near the riverbank. According to Kumar, the victims were taking photos near the riverbank when one person slipped into the water, leading to a chain of events where others tried to rescue each other but tragically drowned.
The Deputy Commissioner highlighted that similar incidents have occurred at the same location in the past, with an average of five to six drowning incidents reported annually. The district administration had previously conducted meetings with the police department and installed warning signboards to alert visitors about the risks. Ravi, a surviving family member, recounted that the group had visited temples in the area after attending a post-marriage function and decided to play in the river, resulting in the tragic events that unfolded rapidly.
