After two back-to-back accidents involving vehicles that plunged into canals killing five persons in Mandya district recently, the district administration has become alert and has taken measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Following the death of three women, and a girl, and a man in two separate accidents, Deputy Commissioner Kumara has constituted committees for each taluk to examine the need for taking safety measures along the canals (wherever necessary) by installing safety barriers or retaining walls in the district for preventing vehicles tumbling into the water bodies.
The committees will inspect maintenance of existing retaining walls along the canals and lake bunds. The Deputy Commissioner told the officials to examine the existing crash barriers and suggest steps that are to be taken for their maintenance or placing additional barriers as a safety measure.
The incidents of vehicles plunging into canals after skidding off the roads resulting in deaths due to drowning are not new for Mandya district since such accidents occurred in the past as well. Despite the casualties in the past incidents, no proper action was taken for establishing safety measures along the canals.
In the wake of the tragedies, the DC taken steps for preventing potential dangers after the locals demanded safety measures following the two recent accidents.
The committees constituted by the DC in every taluk – Mandya, Malavalli, Pandavapura, Srirangapatna, Nagamangala, K.R. Pet and Maddur – will look into the safety measures in place and report the DC on additional measures required for preventing vehicles plunging into canals in the district.
Car drowns killing three
Three women and a teenage girl travelling by a car drowned after their vehicle plunged into a canal at Gamanahalli in Srirangapatna taluk. The accident took place last Saturday night. The accident occurred when the four women were travelling to Doddamalagodu to invite relatives for a function and it was suspected that the vehicle veered out of control and fell into the Visvesvaraya canal.
The absence of a safety railing or retaining wall along the canal bund abutting a lake was blamed by the locals for the tragedy and demanded immediate safety measures.
Following the tragedy, Minister in charge of Mandya district N. Cheluvarayaswamy told the officials to identify accident-prone zones and establish safety measures along the canals to prevent such accidents in the future.
