Barricades on Ganga barrage after seven youths drown

A day after seven youths drowned in the Ganga when one of them was taking a selfie, the district authorities here today ordered construction of barricades on the river barrage to prevent such mishaps.
Police personnel will be deployed on the barrage and cases will be filed against anyone going beyond its slopes, officials said.
The Irrigation Department's assistance has been sought to build the barricades for restraining people from going too near the river bank while taking photos, they said, adding the number of divers at the barrage will be increased.
Clicking a selfie turned out to be fatal for a youth and six of his friends, who drowned in the Ganga yesterday while trying to save one another. The incident occurred when they had gone to take a bath in the river after rainfall.

A probe into the incident has also been ordered by the district authorities.
Since September last year, 24 persons have drowned in the in Ganga river here and most of them were youths, officials said.
Ganga barrage is a bridge on the river and it has slopes on the sides. People often go down the slopes to click photos which leads to accidents, especially during the rainy season when the slopes are slippery.