Perhaps no one could have ever imagined that a pleasant Sunday holiday would turn into the silence of a crematorium. A tragic accident occurred when a 21-22-year-old engineering student went down into the deep water to bathe in the scenic Mandira Dam, located under the Panuria Gram Panchayat in the Barabani block of the industrial zone in West Burdwan district. The missing youth has been identified as Supriyo Chakraborty (22). He is known to be a brilliant student of Kolkata's famous 'SNU' Engineering College and a resident of the Muchipara area in Asansol and Durgapur. Such a sudden disaster during a holiday outing has cast a shadow of deep grief over the entire area. His family is left in utter dismay by the suddenness of the incident.
According to locals and police sources, on Sunday afternoon, a close-knit group of six friends including Supriyo came together to enjoy the natural beauty of Mandira Dam and spend some leisure time. There is an exquisite combination of green hills, red soil paths, and a deep blue reservoir around this dam area. At one point while enjoying that pleasant environment, they decided to get into the collected water of the dam to bathe. According to eyewitnesses, they entered the water without knowing how deep it was and being completely unaware of the geographical condition of the area. While bathing, suddenly and unexpectedly, Supriyo began to be pulled down by a whirlpool or strong current of deep water. Seeing his life in danger, Supriyo screamed "save me, save me", and the accompanying friends made desperate attempts to rescue him. However, all efforts by the friends failed due to the strong undertow at the bottom of the reservoir, silt, and excessive depth. In the blink of an eye, Supriyo sank to the bottom of the water and went missing.
Stunned and mentally shattered by the horror of the incident, the friends cried out. Hearing their screams, local residents rushed from surrounding villages. Information was quickly given to the nearby Barabani police station. Realizing the gravity of the incident, a large contingent of police from Barabani police station and top administration officials including the BDO of Barabani block rushed to the spot of the accident. Search operations began immediately with the help of local skilled fishermen and divers to find the missing student. However, no trace of Supriyo was found even after a long search. Meanwhile, as night fell and due to the adverse environment of the deep water of the dam and darkness, the administration was forced to temporarily suspend the rescue work. Police sources have stated that a special rescue team and the State Disaster Management Group have been informed, who will start a full-scale rescue operation afresh for the missing student as soon as the first light breaks.
Meanwhile, a very sensational and alarming piece of information has come to light from local residents. According to area sources, just two days prior, this group of youths had come to that exact same spot to make 'reels' and attractive short videos for social media. That day too, they spent quite a while here. Then again on Sunday, they came here to visit, and ultimately this tragic consequence occurred. Every year in winter and on holidays, a large number of people and tourists visit the Mandira Dam in the Barabani area. But very unfortunately, due to the lack of proper security fencing, guard walls, or any warning notice boards around this dangerous reservoir, young boys and girls often take such risky steps. Often, the tendency to take risks with lives out of an obsession to become popular on social media is proving fatal. Since this incident, a shadow of extreme grief has descended upon the family and friend circle of the missing youth. With a promising fresh life being suddenly endangered in this way, the entire family and neighbors are left speechless. The Barabani police station has started a detailed investigation into the entire incident and the friends are being interrogated. The administration has also requested the general public to be more cautious when visiting such dangerous places.
