The Coimbatore District (Rural) Police on Tuesday refuted claims by some persons that incidents of drowning that occur in River Bhavani near Vanabathrakaliamman Temple in Mettupalayam are not accidental, but the handiwork of a few criminals who pull people into the water and demand money from the relatives of the victims to retrieve the bodies.
“The rumour is baseless. Till date no such instance has been reported in Mettupalayam police station,” said a statement issued by the police, a day after actor K. Bhagyaraj shared a post on ‘X’ about “mysterious and orchestrated” deaths in River Bhavani.
According to the police, a total of 20 persons had died due to accidental drowning in River Bhavani during 2022. Considering the loss of life due to the frequent drowning incidents, a special unit of 10 NDRF/SDRF trained police personnel headed by a sub-inspector, namely “Mettupalayam Life Guards” was formed on February 2, 2023.
The team will patrol Bhavani River bank to avert such accidental drownings. As a result of the efforts of the above unit, the number of accidental drowning in the river had come down to 6 in 2023, and zero till date in 2024, said the police.
The police stated that proper investigation has been conducted in all the reported cases in 2022 and 2023. Negligence or overconfidence has been ascertained as the reason for the death in those cases.
The special team is equipped with life jackets, ropes, lifebuoys, headlights, torch and other equipment to deal with sudden emergencies and rescue people who are trapped due to sudden rise in water level in the river, said the police.
The team has saved 914 persons, who would otherwise be trapped due to rising water in River Bhavani, till date. A total of 13 persons, who jumped into the river with suicidal tendency, have been rescued promptly and counselling was given to them, said the police.
The police have identified 19 danger zones along the river bank and constant vigil is being maintained to avert loss of life. Warning boards and surveillance cameras have also been installed at these locations to create awareness, added the police.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)
