Devprayag (Uttarakhand): In a shocking incident, Joint Director Jagraj Dandi, aged 54, employed in Haryana's Agriculture Department was swept away by the strong current of Ganges at Devprayag in Uttarakhand on Thursday. Dandi went to bathe with his wife and daughter when the accident happened.
Dandi, aged 54 residing in Chandigarh, went to visit Rishikesh accompanied by his wife, Neeta, and daughter. Their journey began on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the family made their way to Devprayag. While bathing at the convergence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers, Dandi inadvertently stepped on a slippery stone. The forceful current of the Ganges swept him away, leaving his wife and daughter distraught.
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NDRF search operation: After receiving information from people bathing at Sangam, the police were notified about the incident. Subsequently, the teams from Devprayag Police Station, Water Police Srinagar, and State Disaster Response Force were dispatched to the scene to initiate the search for Joint Director Jagraj Dandi. Despite their efforts, no sign of Jagraj could be found until late at night. Inspector Devraj Sharma, in charge of Devprayag, stated that a 22-member team from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has arrived from Dehradun, and they have commenced the search operation starting this Friday morning.
Devprayag is the confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda: Devprayag is the sacred site where the Bhagirathi River, originating from Gangotri, and the Alaknanda River, flowing out of Satopanth via Badrinath, converge. It is at this confluence that the mighty Ganga River is formed. The topography of this area causes the river's flow to be exceptionally swift. The Bhagirathi River, carrying a greater volume, joins the Alaknanda River at the Sangam. People prefer to take a dip in the confluence here as it is considered holy.
