In Tharad, a father of three daughters tragically lost his life after falling into the Narmada canal. The incident raised many questions about the circumstances leading to his death. The fire department was alerted about a body floating in the canal near the Chudmer Bridge. Fire officer Viramji Rathod and his team quickly responded to the scene. They managed to retrieve the body from the canal. The deceased was identified as Pravinbhai Bhikhabhai Raval, aged around 40, a resident of Tharad and father to three daughters.
The investigation revealed that the man had a star tattoo on his right arm, which helped in confirming his identity. However, the cause of his death remains unclear, prompting the police to launch an investigation.
The body was discovered between the Mahajanpura and Dolatpura bridges. Initially, the identity of the deceased was unknown. A tattoo on his right arm featured the letter ‘J’ and a heartbeat design. During the search, a mobile phone was found in the deceased’s pant pocket. The fire team used the SIM card from the phone to contact the family, which led to identifying the deceased. Viramji Rathod confirmed that the family had been informed about the tragic incident.
This unfortunate event has raised awareness about safety near water bodies in the region. Local authorities are urged to improve safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
In another related development, the Tharad area has been facing water supply issues for years. The state government has been working on solutions, including various water supply projects and canal systems. Recently, the Siphu scheme has been initiated to fill local ponds before the Mahashivaratri festival. This project is part of the Narmada canal-based Tharad Siphu pipeline plan, which aims to supply water to the region.
Shankar Chaudhary recently visited to oversee the start of water supply from the Mahajanpura pumping station. The government has invested ₹592 crores in the Siphu pipeline project, which will significantly benefit the areas of Tharad, Disa, Lakhni, and Dantivada by enhancing groundwater levels for farmers.
The Siphu pipeline is 70 kilometers long and includes three pumping stations. This project will fill ponds in 70 villages, with the highest number of ponds being in Tharad and Disa. The people of Tharad are hopeful that these initiatives will alleviate their long-standing water problems.