Washed away by Yamuna, two brothers still untraced

The search for two brothers, Kamlesh and Rajneesh, who were swept away by the Yamuna near Paonta Sahib on Tuesday, continued without success for the third day today. The body of Amit Kumar, one of the three missing youths, was recovered yesterday, but the fate of the two brothers remains unknown, leaving their family and Gawali village residents in deep anguish.

The tragic incident had occurred on Tuesday afternoon when Amit Kumar (23) and two brothers Kamlesh and Rajneesh visited the Yamuna Ghat in the Shillai Assembly constituency. The trio was suddenly caught in the river’s strong current and swept away. Rescue operations involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Himachal Pradesh Police, Uttarakhand rafters and local divers were launched. Amit Kumar’s body was found nearly 20 km downstream at Kalesar in Yamunanagar district. Despite continuous efforts, Kamlesh and Rajneesh remain untraced.

Industries and Employment Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan visited the ghat today. He assessed the ongoing search operations and directed the authorities concerned to employ every possible resource with full seriousness to trace the missing brothers. he extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for strength to them during this difficult time.

Locals expressed concern over persistent safety lapses at the Yamuna Ghat. There had been more than 60 drowning incidents in the past two decades but only one warning board had been installed there. The Rs 30-crore Namami Gange project, intended to modernise the ghat, had seen little progress. Residents also highlighted the hazards posed by an abandoned barrage, which generates dangerous whirlpools. Villagers demanded permanent deployment of divers, protective barricades, dismantling of the unused barrage and urgent implementation of the ghat modernisation project.

The authorities overseeing the search operations assured people that all available resources were being utilised. They urged the public to avoid the river’s treacherous stretches.