Srinagar, Sept 16: The Aharabal waterfall in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, nearly 80 kilometers from here, which saw huge tourist arrival this year is fast turning into a death trap.

At least eight persons drowned during last few months in the waterfall. Authorities blame people for accidents and accuse them (people) of not remaining careful.

“Eight people drowned in the fall this year, out of which six were accidental deaths while as two others committed suicide,” Deputy Commissioner Kulgam Lateef-us- Zaman Deva told Greater Kashmir on Sunday.

According to Deva mishaps took place because of the “negligence” on the part of victims and the people accompanying them.

“Authorities are not to be blamed for the mishaps,” he said.

The height of the Aharabal water fall is one of the factors which leads to mishaps, said a police official.

“If one constantly keeps on watching the fall he becomes dizzy and gets carried away by the fast flowing waters,” he said.
The official said the police cannot do much to prevent such incidents. “Proper fencing around the fall only can prevent such incidents from recurring,” he said.
Asked why bodies cannot be retrieved from the fall easily, the official said, “Rescuers cannot do much as water flows at very fast speed and we’ve to wait for bodies to come up.”

A pass out of Kashmir University from Physics department while reminiscing one of the mishaps said, “Two of our colleagues drowned in Aharabal waterfall in 1971 when our department had gone on a picnic. Mishaps and Aharabal have been synonymous since a long time.”

Quite recently two youth from civil lines fell in the fall and it took more than two weeks to retrieve their bodies.

Despite eight persons drowning in Aharabal water fall, Government has decided to develop the spot as full fledged tourist resort. Officials claim that Aharabal has potential of becoming the number one tourist destination in the Valley.

According to the officials thousands of tourists including non-locals visited Aharabal this year. “Publicity through word of mouth led to the arrival of tourists from every corner of the Valley,” DC Kulgam Lateef-Us-Zaman Deva said.