Panaji: Five days after two persons lost their lives at Mainapi waterfall in Sanguem, the TMC in Goa has demanded that the State government should provide compensation to the families of these persons, who lost their lives to the lethargic attitude of the local authorities.
TMC Goa General Secretary Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik held the Forest and Police department responsible for this tragedy, claiming that the chaotic situation that prevailed near the waterfall on the fateful day, could have been avoided.
Naik addressed the press conference in presence of party’s minority win co-coordinator Vincent Fernandes.
It may be recalled that two persons Shivdatt Santosh Naik and Janardhan Sadekar had lost their lives to the tragic accident at Mainapli waterfall on Sunday.
Naik pointed out that she has already addressed a letter to Chief Wildlife Warden demanding compensation to the deceased. She said that the letter has also demanded that the safety apparatus at Mainapi waterfall should be increased considering heavy footfalls received here during the weekends.
The TMC leader also demanded that Sadekar who lost his life to save Shivdatt should be given bravery award posthumously by the State government.
Narrating the conditions at the deceased’s house, Naik said that the financial assistance should be provided to the mother of Shivdatt Naik who is a cancer survivor.
Naik said that Shivdatt did not risk his life but instead slipped and fell in the water before being washed away.
The TMC leader said that the Forest Department officials have already conceded their failure to execute the safety measures at this waterfall that attracts thousands of visitors.
She pointed out that there are not enough lifeguards, absence of signages highlighting dangerous zones and no presence of Police to control the crowd. “The crowd was exceeding 500 people but only one forest department personnel was present at the duty, that too without proper amenities to handle the tragic situation,” Naik said.
She said that the Forest department which collects the entry fee should also be responsible for maintaining order at this waterfall. She said that Assistant conservator of Forest Damodar Salelkar was busy veiling the inefficiencies through his arrogance. She demanded that he should be immediately transferred from the place and inquiry should be initiated against him.
Naik said, ‘We urge the deployment of more experienced local forest officials to provide better guidance and assistance to tourists. She stressed, ‘To prevent future incidents, a strict ban must be put on tourists entering dangerous areas with clearly demarcated restricted zones and warning signs and life jackets must be provided to all visitors to mitigate drowning accidents and enhance overall security.’
