The body of a youth from Gossaigaon in Assam’s Kokrajhar district, who drowned in river Saralbanga along the Indo-Bhutan border, was fished out on Wednesday.
The youth has been identified as Mwkthang Basumatary, son of Banduram Basumatary of Santinagar in Gossaigaon.
According to sources, Mwkthang, who completed B.Tech from CIT Kokrajhar, along with four of his friends, went out to Saralpara for enjoying picnic on Tuesday but he suddenly drowned in river Saralbanga.
Saralpara is located in the foothills of Bhutan in the downstream of river Saralbanga.
The area is a place of attraction and people from various places used to visit before COVID19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
It is not known how the youths could reach the place for enjoyment at a time when the administration has restricted gathering of people in view of COVID19 pandemic.
The conscious section of the people has appealed to the people, mainly the youths, to refrain from going out for such enjoyment and avoid risk factors in the name of passing leisure time.
“We request the administration to take measures like putting up signboards at different strategic locations (Bishmuri-Saralpara road) to make the visitors aware about the critical wildlife habitat,” said locals.
The locals demanded that the district administration restrict people from visiting Saralpara as COVID19 situation continues to affect Kokrajhar district along with other parts of Assam and avoid community transmission.
Locals alleged that hundreds of people in vehicles from Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bongaigaon and Gossaigaon have visited Saralpara in the last two weeks for enjoying picnic and taking bath in river Saralbanga, which should immediately be stopped.