Garhwal Post Bureau
Tharali (Chamoli), 15 Jul: A tragedy struck the Gauchar region of Chamoli district after two young boys drowned in the Lodiya Gadhera (stream). The incident occurred near Panai village when five children, reportedly en route to their tuition classes, chose to take a dip in the rain-swollen stream. According to locals and initial reports, one child began to drown, prompting the other four to leap in to save him. While three children were eventually rescued, two became trapped in a whirlpool and tragically drowned.
Police and SDRF teams, acting swiftly upon being informed, launched a search and rescue operation at the site. The two children, once recovered from the stream, were rushed to the nearest hospital where doctors declared them as brought dead. The boys who died have been identified as Gaurav Gosain of Dungri village in Narayanbagad and Divyanshu Bisht of Srikot in Gauchar. The incident has plunged both the families into deep mourning, with the entire community expressing grief and shock.
Such incidents have been happening in Uttarakhand on a regular basis, and they serve as a pointer to the persistent threat posed by swollen rivers and streams during the monsoon season, a time when the water levels often rise without warning. Very often repeated advisories issued by the police and district administration urging people, particularly children and youth, not to enter water bodies during this period, are largely ignored.
The Lodiya Gadhera witnessed water levels surge significantly following recent rainfall in the region. The deceptive calm of these seasonal streams often masks dangerous undercurrents and whirlpools. Authorities have reiterated their warnings to the public to stay away from such water bodies, particularly during the peak monsoon phase.
It may be recalled that some days ago, two teenage boys drowned while bathing in the Kosi River near Someshwar in district Almora. In another incident near Srinagar in Pauri Garhwal, a 14-year-old girl was swept away while trying to collect water near a rivulet swollen due to incessant rain. Both incidents also involved children who had ventured into the water either for play or for routine chores.
