Safety measures at tourist site questioned
JOWAI/SHILLONG: An 18-year-old girl from Rilbong, Trisha Sen Bhattacharjee, drowned after the newly introduced flat boat made of bamboo with seven occupants, including her mother, capsized in the Krang Shuri river in Amlarem, West Jaintia Hills on Thursday.
According to police, the boat capsized at 11.30 am while they were boarding it and the water was not so deep.
Soon after the incident, all the six were immediately pulled out, but Trisha who was under the water was taken out only after five minutes after immediate attempts to rescue her failed. After CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) was administered on the spot, she was rushed to Nongtalang CHC for resuscitation, but was declared brought dead by the doctor.
Police registered a case of unnatural death.
The seven persons, including some members of the family, and friends started at 7 am from Shillong and reached the spot at 11 am. The initial plan was to visit Shnong Pdeng, but since they were going through the Jowai route, they decided to first visit Krang Shuri falls, police said.
No life jackets were given to the visitors by those who operate the boats, which are made of bamboo reeds and thermocol. Soon after the news trickled in, a pall of gloom descended on Rilbong locality, and several persons visited the residence of the deceased.
Teachers and friends of Trisha, who is a student of Loreto Convent, also visited the family.
The funeral of the girl will be held on Friday after the arrival of her elder brother Shomik Sen Bhattacharjee, who is studying in Chennai.
While Trisha’s mother Monideepa Sen is a lecturer at St Mary’s College, her father, Shekhar Bhattacharjee, a former district sports officer, passed away four years ago.
Bamboo boats unsafe
The incident has exposed that the bamboo boats which are like rafts and without adequate protective cover have been operating at Krang Shuri river without adopting any safety measures.
The eyewitnesses said the boats made of bamboo poles and reeds with thermocol beneath them are not safe.
After the incident, several citizens pointed that the West Jainita Hills district administration should take steps to run better equipped boats with adequate safety measures instead of the boats made of bamboo which are currently in use.
