Use underwater drone surveillance to search for drowning people: SDRF commandant
Tuesday, 28 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Considering the rise in the number of drowning incidents in canals and rivers at tourist spots and ghats during the summer season, the commandant of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Manikant Mishra has directed the officials to use underwater drone surveillance to search and rescue drowning people. He stated this in a seminar held on Monday to review the search and rescue operations with the teams of flood rescue, disaster relief and water police. With the arrival of devotees on the Char Dham Yatra and the intense heat, the number of tourists in Haridwar, Rishikesh, and other tourist spots has increased considerably. Mishra also expressed concern about tourists risking entering deep water while bathing in rivers or ghats and directed the rescue teams to advise tourists to bathe only in safe areas. He also directed them to identify locations prone to drowning incidents to deploy additional personnel there. The officials must coordinate with the police to ensure patrolling during peak hours and to ensure immediate rescue in case of drowning incidents. He also directed to ensure that rafting guides must also be trained in giving first aid to help the tourists during medical emergencies. He also instructed to deploy additional personnel near the ghats in Haridwar and use the underwater drone surveillance to search for drowning people at places like Har ki Pauri, Bairagi Bridge and Premnagar Ashram ghats, among others.