The cooling pond of Bokaro steel plant. Picture by Pankaj Singh

The 25-feet deep outer cooling pond of Bokaro steel plant has open access, making it one of the city’s top risky spots, but the season of board and entrance exam results has amped up the alarm factor.

Results of ICSE and ISC conducted by Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations were announced on May 17, while CBSE Class XII results will be out on May 26. Results of biggies IIT-JEE, AIEEE, all-India and state medical entrances will also be out soon. In a city driven by academic performance, below-par results are quick to trigger suicidal feelings in youngsters.

The reservoir, which stores water from Tenughat dam, has earned a bad name with 15 drowning deaths in 15 months — accidental and deliberate — as well as dozens of unsuccessful attempts. Though the deaths schoolboys Rahul Kumar and Abhishek Kumar on May 12 were caused by an adventure gone wrong, Bokaro steel plant management has decided to put up awareness hoardings around the boundary. Patrolling will also be beefed up around this outer cooling pond.

Though it is called a prohibited zone, iron barricades have been stolen. In summer, everyone from children and teenagers to women and elders are seen splashing in the water.

According to police records, over 100 people have drowned here since Jharkhand’s inception in November 2000. Several unidentified bodies were also fished out.

“Entering the cooling pond is strictly prohibited, but people don’t listen,” Bokaro steel plant chief of communications Sanjay Tewary said, ruing that petty iron pilferers made off with fencing.

On pragmatic problems of 24/7 patrol by steel plant security guards, Tewary said: “The area is very wide and large chunks of the area are encroached upon.”

The failure of district disaster management exposed during the search of bodies of the two teens has also led Bokaro deputy commissioner Arava Rajkamal to streamline measures.

The inner cooling pond, inside the plant and well guarded, has not witnessed a single accident.