LAHORE - Brisking through the capital of Punjab, the iconic canal of Lahore needs speedy reputation saving measures, as it gulps around 300 individuals every year accroding to figures provided by Rescue 1122.
Muhammad Irfan, a 10-year-old boy drowned in the canal near Johar Town Underpass on Thursday. Despite search efforts his body could not be found. Family of Farhan Ali, a six year old visiting Lahore from Faisalabad, went through a similar shock. Farhan slipped in the canal on 11th of June while being accompanied with family on a picnic and could not be found. A day before the incident, three other kids drowned in the canal while taking a dip.
According to Rescue 1122, 2343 such incidents were recorded since 2006 till May 2013.
Immediate planning is required before the heritage looses its monumental status and is shrouded by bloody tales.
While talking to a Rescue official it was established that depth of the canal was not the only reasons of deaths, “the canal is deep from some spots, but most children get hurt due to the base of the canal, which is usually littered.. different objects, like broken tree branches, bricks, broken glasses and other stuff are found on the base of the canal”, said the official. He maintained that kids get hurt while diving in the canal and hit these objects.
The death of three kids in a day itched the CDGL a bit in early June. The newly posted DCO called for immediate action to be taken on the canal to put a stop to the death toll, but to no avail.
On the other hand, the irrigation department came down hard on the situation, irrigation department wants complete ban on bathing in the canal. They claim that under the Canal and Drainage Act, no human or animal is allowed to bathe in the canal. But it looks impractical to impose ban on the entire canal.
Coming up with a more moderate option the CDGL had banned six different points on the Canal identified to be the deadliest. After orders, a number of civil defense officials and lifeguards had been deployed to look over the crowd. Adding to that the CDGL has called for an awareness campaign to enlighten citizen especially parents.
For some the historic canal represents the city, for others its just a commuting encounter while for the rest it represents fun and is used as a relaxant during scorching summers. But astonishing figures from Rescue 1122 tell a different story. For a number of people the canal is an irresistible trap reminding them of horrible past.