New Delhi. The happiness of a family that had come to Vrindavan to celebrate their child’s birthday turned into mourning. Grandfather and grandson drowned in Yamuna while bathing on Saturday morning. Both could not be found till late evening.

Summary:

• Ashish Tripathi and his family had come to Vrindavan to celebrate their son’s birthday.
• Grandfather Mahendranath Tripathi and grandson Dev Tripathi drowned in Yamuna while bathing.
• Efforts to find them were unsuccessful until late evening.

Tragedy Strikes During Birthday Celebration

Ashish Tripathi, a resident of Najafgarh, Delhi, had reached Vrindavan on Friday night with his family to celebrate the birthday of his seven-year-old son, Dev Tripathi. In the morning, Dev and his grandfather Mahendranath Tripathi reached Kelly Kunj to have darshan of Sant Premanand Maharaj. After darshan, both of them went to Vihar Ghat to bathe in Yamuna. However, tragedy struck when they entered the deep water and started drowning. Nearby people raised an alarm, prompting local divers to jump into the Yamuna.

No Fuel in Steamer Delays Search Operation

Upon receiving the news of the drowning incident, PAC personnel and the regional police rushed to the spot with a steamer. However, the search operation was halted for a long time due to the lack of fuel in the steamer. After the fuel arrived, police, PAC, and divers conducted a search operation from the ghat to the concrete bridge. Despite several hours of searching, both the grandfather and grandson were not found until late evening.

Lack of Safety Measures During Kartik Month

The water level of Yamuna is deep at Vihar Ghat, Cheer Ghat, KC Ghat, and other major ghats. Within the past two months, several drowning incidents have been reported, resulting in multiple deaths. With the start of Kartik month, the crowd on the ghats is increasing. However, no barricading has been done to prevent people from entering deep water, and no employees have been deployed to enforce safety measures. Apart from KC Ghat, the rest of the ghats are unpaved, increasing the risk of accidents. Authorities need to take immediate action to ensure the safety of visitors during the Kartik bath.