Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Vellayani tense after youth drowns in lake

Thiruvananthapuram: A tense situation prevailed at Kakkamoola on the banks of Vellayani Lake here on Sunday evening after local people refused to hand over the body of a 17-year-old youth who drowned in the lake.

Renjith, 17, a Plus One student of SMV Boys Higher Secondary School, drowned while taking a bath in the lake. The incident occurred at 3.30 p.m. The body was recovered from the lake after an hour-long search led by the Fire and Rescue Services and local people.

Alleging that the youth got drowned in an underwater pit dug by sand-miners, irate residents blocked the road and staged a demonstration. Refusing to release the body, they demanded stern action against illegal sand-mining from the lake.

The situation remained tense for a couple of hours. Sub-Collector K. Biju, who arrived at the spot, held discussions with the representatives of the people. The body was released only after he promised to take immediate action against sand-miners.

The incident happened a day after environmental activists and local people organised a human chain to highlight the degradation of the lake.

“It is really shocking to see yet another death on the banks of Vellayani Lake. What is even more disturbing is that these pits were probably created by the sand-miners just hours after the demonstration held here on Saturday,” said activist and Vellayani Kayal Paristhithi Samrakshana Samithi chairman Rufus Daniel.

The Sub-Collector said the district administration would take stringent measures against sand-mining. “I have already ordered seizure of the boats used by the sand-miners which are usually sunk in the water after a day’s work to avoid detection. I have also directed the Tahasildar and local police to launch criminal proceedings against the owners of the boats and other people involved in sand-mining within four days,” he said. Renjith was a native of Keezhur, near Vellayani.

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