Baramulla, Oct 1: Concerned over deaths due to drowning in river Jehlum after release of water from reservoirs without blowing siren, police has taken up the matter with National Hydroelectric Power Company (NHPC) and Lower Jhelum Hydro Project (LJHP) in border town of Uri to install sirens and take other measures to prevent such accidents in future.
Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Uri Junaid Wali has written a letter to General Manager of NHPC and Executive Engineering (EE) LJHP on Thursday that sirens installed are not being regularly blown before the water is released from reservoirs into the river leading to drowning accidents in Gantamullah and Uri.
The letter further said that in order to make the siren more effective to warn people while taking bath, security guards be deployed near the siren or alarm lighting installation. However, the letter further said that there are some area where no siren has been installed.
Wali in the letter said the people of the adjacent villages living on both sides of the dams and river are complaining that they have lost various human lives due to release of water from reservoirs without siren. Residents are demanding installation of the siren on both sides of the river on a priority basis so that such incidents can be avoided.
The letter said that non-installation of siren and fencing accounts for negligence from the concerned agencies since it is the primary responsibility of these agencies managing the hydel projects to take preventive measures.
Wali further said it is such requested that the above-mentioned demands with respect to dam sites on river Jhelum and LJHP canal be kindly fixed.
The letter also mentioned the names of youth who died due to drowning while taking bath in the river in the recent past due to release of water without blowing siren.
