MUZAFFARABAD: The administration in the lakeside city of Mirpur on Monday imposed an immediate ban on swimming or bathing in Mangla Dam or its tributaries and watercourses.

The order was issued by additional district magistrate under Section 144 CrPC a day after one more person drowned in Lahri Mangla.

The ban would remain in force for a period of two months and those found defying it would be tried under Section 188 CrPC.

However, residents feared that there was no effective mechanism to enforce the ban, taking advantage of which people would continue to flout it.

According to Mirpur police, at least five people have drowned over the past two weeks while taking bath in Mangla Dam and in the Upper Jhelum Canal to beat the sweltering heat.

In Muzaffarabad, a similar ban was imposed by district magistrate Sohail Azam about two weeks ago, following some incidents of drowning.

However, there were reports that people were still risking their lives by taking bath in the swollen Neelum and Jhelum rivers to lessen the impact of excessively hot and humid weather.

Both rivers run through the AJK capital, but the icy Neelum is referred to as “killer river”, as it does not spare even masterly swimmers, once they lose balance amid swimming or rescuing others.

“The purpose of ban is to create awareness and warn people against entering the rivers particularly when their level becomes dangerously high,” Mr Azam told Dawn on Monday.

He expressed the hope that people would respect the ban.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2014