TURA:
Five people lost their lives in a watery grave in separate incidents making this year’s casualty figure during Easter Monday celebrations the highest ever in the history of the region.
Among the five dead from drowning, there is a three-year-old boy who slipped and fell into a fish pond at Dalu border town while playing with friends by its side. Bodies of all the five victims have been fished out of the watery graves in separate incidents spanning across four districts of Garo Hills.
The other victims who lost their lives during celebrations include 13-year-old Lingkash M Sangma of Sampalgre Dadenggre in West Garo Hills, who accidently slipped and fell into the Nawal Dari Galwang River in Selsella during a picnic.
While 16-year-old Dreyant Sangma of New Dengasi village in South West Garo Hills drowned in the Wah Wari portion of the Ganol river in Damalgre area of the district, the body of John Chenian R Marak (17) of Baghmara Eringgre was fished out of the Anginma wari picnic spot in Siju South Garo Hills on Tuesday noon by divers from the fire and rescue service of the district.
Earlier, Senja D Shira of Chitukona (Damas) of North Garo Hills, who drowned in the Manda River in East Garo Hills while celebrating Easter Monday picnic was the first victim whose body was retrieved.
Meanwhile, one Niksrap T Sangma (16) of Gondenggre village of Jengjal, who had disappeared after falling into the Simsang river at Rongkem picnic spot near Williamnagar, has so far not been found.
“We are continuing the search operations with expert divers but there are challenges with the strong water current, the turbulence and at some places, the depth is almost 12 feet deep,” says East Garo Hills police chief Bruno A Sangma, elaborating about the ongoing search operations for Niksrap.
The extremely high casualty figure has once again put Easter Monday picnic ritual – a mass social gathering event which has for long been rejected by the church in view of the uncontrolled revelry and accidents that have taken away lives – into the spotlight in the region.
“Most of the accidents and drowning have occurred because people have been careless. Moreover, alcohol consumption was also a factor in some of the accidents. It is high time Section 144 is imposed and Easter Monday picnics are banned,” informed a police official, who was involved in coordinating the search and rescue operations for the missing teens.
Having witnessed previous tragedies, authorities in Tura and other district headquarters undertook multiple check posts at entry and exit routes. In some places, including North Garo Hills district, police launched multiple night raids on illegal hoarding of liquor on the eve of the picnic celebrations to check public drinking.
But, despite the best efforts of the law enforcement authorities, revellers still managed to give authorities the slip and indulge in widespread revelry that led to loss of lives in many places.