Bathing Turns Fatal for Five Boys in Flood-Hit Prayagraj: A Tragedy Repeated Every Monsoon
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh – What began as a playful dip in the floodwaters turned into a heart-wrenching tragedy for five families in Prayagraj, a district reeling under the grip of severe monsoon floods.
In two separate incidents on Tuesday, five boys drowned while bathing in swollen rivers — three bodies have been recovered, while two remain missing as rescue efforts continue.
The first incident occurred in the Tharwai region near the Bheem Kunda Temple in Mansaita around 11:15 a.m. when five boys, unaware of the lurking dangers, ventured into the turbulent waters of the swollen Ganga. Their play quickly turned to panic as they drifted into deeper waters and began to drown.
Alerted by their cries for help, nearby villagers sprang into action. Fortunately, two boys — 14-year-old Shivam Pal and 10-year-old Aman — were pulled out alive. Tragically, their companions, 15-year-old Shashank Pal, 16-year-old Utkarsh Pal, and 15-year-old Abhishek Pal, could not be saved.
A massive rescue operation was launched immediately. Teams from the police, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary), and district administration rushed to the spot.
Among those leading the operation were DCP (Trans-Ganga) Kuldeep Singh Gunawat and ADM (Administration) Pooja Mishra. After nearly three hours of continuous search efforts, the bodies of the three boys were finally recovered. Their distraught families, who had gathered at the site, were inconsolable.
In a separate but eerily similar incident later that day, 18-year-old Suraj Kumar of Pantarwa village, under the Puramufti police station limits, went for a bath in the rain-swollen Sarsur Khaderi river near Ganja village with his 12-year-old cousin, Gulshan. Both reportedly slipped into deeper waters and drowned.
Family members rushed to the site upon receiving the news, where rescue teams and local divers have been searching tirelessly. As of late Tuesday evening, the search was still underway, but there was no sign of the missing boys.
A Tragedy That Repeats Every Year — Yet Preventable
These tragic deaths are not isolated incidents. Every year, during the monsoon season, the swollen rivers Ganga and Yamuna pose a deadly threat across Uttar Pradesh, especially in flood-prone districts like Prayagraj. Despite repeated instances of drowning and loss of life, the administration and river police continue to exhibit a passive approach.
Instead of taking preemptive action to prevent such fatalities, authorities often swing into action only after floodwaters inundate low-lying homes. Then begins the cycle of distributing food packets and water to those trapped by rising rivers — a reactive response rather than a preventive one.
What is sorely lacking is a proactive system of warnings and enforcement. Timely public advisories, physical barriers at dangerous riverbanks, regular patrolling by river police, and community awareness campaigns could go a long way in curbing such avoidable tragedies.
Yet, year after year, the same mistakes are repeated, and innocent lives are lost.
The current model of flood response seems more about managing disaster aftermath than mitigating the risks beforehand.
Had the administration taken the initiative to warn residents, especially children, not to bathe or play in flooded areas, these young lives might have been saved.
It’s high time the district administration, disaster management authorities, and river police adopt a more accountable, preventive approach to ensure that such tragedies do not repeat with tragic regularity.
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