The drowning of two sisters from Bengaluru in Chunchi Falls, a picnic spot near Kanakapura in Ramanagaram district, on Sunday is a reminder of how waterbodies turn into death traps.
The number of visitors flocking to scenic spots in Mandya and Ramanagaram districts has been increasing in the recent years. Statistics from the Police Department say that 650 persons have drowned in various picnic spots in these districts in the last 10 years. Of them, around 70 per cent were youngsters.
Muthathi on the banks of the Cauvery near Malavalli, Balamuri waterfalls near Srirangapatna and Chunchi Falls have recorded a high number of drowning incidents.
According to the jurisdictional police, Muthathi has claimed 120 lives since 2008, while Mekedatu has claimed over 100 lives since 2005.
As many as 80 visitors have lost their lives in Balamuri waterfalls in the last 10 years.
