PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Haridwar
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel rescued 18 Kanwadiyas from the Ganga at different ghats in Haridwar on Saturday. The devotees were caught in the strong waves of the river while taking a bath- some of them also slipped into the river, SDRF officials said.
SDRF commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi said, “SDRF teams are deployed at different ghats and sensitive places in Haridwar and Rishikesh during the ongoing Kanwad Yatra. The teams are keeping a close watch on the river to prevent accidents.”
On Saturday, SDRF personnel quickly reached the spots after receiving information about the devotees in danger. They carried out rescue operations and safely brought all 18 people out of the river. The rescued devotees were from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Haridwar.
The SDRF said that its quick action helped prevent a major accident. All 18 devotees were rescued safely. Yaduvanshi said that the safety of devotees is a top priority during the Kanwad Yatra. He appealed to Kanwadiyas to use only designated and safe ghats for bathing. He also asked them to stay away from deep water and areas with strong currents. He warned that the water level and flow of rivers can change suddenly. He appealed to devotees to follow the instructions given by SDRF and police personnel deployed near the river.
