In view of the rising number of cases of drowning in the Cauvery at Mukkombu, a popular picnic spot in Tiruchi, activists have urged the State government to establish a fire station to facilitate rescue operations.
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More than seven persons drowned in the Cauvery at Mukkombu this year. In many cases, the victims were aged between 15 and 30. Activist P. Ayyarappan pointed out that the tourists venture into the deep waters for an adventurous experience and get trapped in quicksand.
In several cases, the tourists slipped into deep waters and were washed away by the river current. Two youths from Kallakurichi and Dindigul districts were washed away in the river in August. A nine-member Fire and Rescue Services team recovered their bodies after two days of intense search. An 18-year-old college student drowned on Saturday.
“Some of these fatal incidents happened when tourists ventured beyond safe zones into the river, defying the warning signs put up by the Public Works Department and the police, ” Mr. Ayyarappan said and sought interdepartmental coordination to ensure the safety of the tourists.
Official sources in the Fire and Rescue Services Department said fire stations functioned at Tiruchi, Srirangam, Navalpattu, Lalgudi, Pullambadi, Uppilliyapuram, Manapparai, Thuvarankurichi, Vaiyampatti and Samayapuram in Tiruchi division. The State government has approved a proposal to establish a new fire station at Tirverumbur. The department is well-equipped with safety gear and emergency rescue tenders. Establishing a fire station at Mukkombu may be considered in future, the official sources added.