Ranchi: A daring stunt under peer pressure went horribly awry to claim the life of an 18-year-old engineering student at Dhurwa Dam, 15km from the city, the Monday tragedy prompting disaster management officials to review safety at reservoirs across the district this picnic season.
The body of Namkum resident Abhishek Pushpa, a second-year mechanical (diploma) student of RTC Institute of Technology, Ormanjhi, who went missing in the reservoir on Monday afternoon, was fished out by NDRF divers on Tuesday morning.
Preliminary investigations suggest Abhishek, who did not know how to swim, followed his friends when they dived into the 30-feet-deep waters from a wall around 10-feet-high during a daytrip to the dam, 30km from their engineering cradle.
The basic rule of diving from a height is to either go either toes first or raise hands above head to properly cut through water and avoid a concussion. It is not immediately clear how the teenager took his plunge, but he went down and never came up, prompting his five friends to raise an alert.
The NDRF rescue team had been pressed into service on Monday, but the operation was called off after dusk because of poor visibility and freezing water temperature. The search resumed on Tuesday morning and Abhisekh's body was found around 9am.
Nagri police, who exercise jurisdiction over the portion of the reservoir where the student drowned (the rest is covered by Dhurwa police), said good monsoon rain had raised the water level and swimming or diving was an unnecessary risk.
OC Ashok Kumar Singh said it was technically impossible for them to control incidents of drowning without 24/7 vigil, which again was tough amid manpower crunch.
"The dam area is regularly patrolled. Many a times, we warn visitors/picnickers - especially teenagers or couples - against venturing into isolated places or risking a plunge. But, the moment we leave, people drop guard and do unwise things," the officer said, adding that the police station was 15km away and permanent deployment was next to impossible.
Ranchi district disaster management officer Ashok Kumar Sharma said the department would write to all executive engineers under whose jurisdictions different dams fall asking them to put up warning signs and red flags.
"In a day or two, we shall also hold a meeting with the deputy commissioner to work out other safety measures for the picnic season. Boats and lifeguards will be in place for Christmas and New Year," he signed off with the reminder that safety should first begin at individual level.
How can drowning accidents in the state be prevented? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com
