Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Friday, 27 June directed district officials to install barricades along the banks of the River Cauvery at Muthathi in Mandya district, following a drowning tragedy that claimed five lives on Wednesday evening. The victims — all residents of Byadarahalli, Bengaluru — died after one person slipped into the river and four others drowned attempting to rescue her.

What Happened at Muthathi

The group had attended a post-marriage function called 'Beegara Oota' at Kabbala and stopped at Muthathi on their return to Bengaluru to visit the Kabbalamma Temple and the Muthathiraya Temple. After the temple visit, they went near the riverbank. According to survivor Ravi, a family member, his sister Vijayamma (50) slipped and fell into the Cauvery. His wife Shwetha (38), daughter Chaitra (20), and niece Priyanka (28) rushed in to save her — and were swept away by the strong current. The family's driver and close friend, Mahesh, also jumped in to help and drowned.

Ravi himself entered the water and was pulled under. 'I lost control and began drowning. Fortunately, someone managed to pull me out of the river. I survived, but all the others were swept away by the Cauvery,' he said. Fishermen at the spot rescued him. The entire sequence, he said, unfolded within minutes.

Personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services Department recovered all five bodies and shifted them to MIMS Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Minister's Directives to District Administration

Minister Reddy spoke to Mandya Deputy Commissioner Kumar by phone and issued a series of instructions: install barricades along the riverbank, identify safe spots and designated swimming zones for tourists, erect clearly visible signboards marking safe areas and warning of hazardous stretches, and prohibit entry into the Cauvery waters except in demarcated zones.

The Deputy Commissioner visited the mortuary on Thursday and expressed condolences to the bereaved family. He confirmed that preliminary reports placed the time of the incident at approximately 4:30 pm on Wednesday, when the victims were near the riverbank taking photographs.

A Recurring Danger Ignored Too Long

Deputy Commissioner Kumar acknowledged that Muthathi has a grim track record. 'Every year, four to five such incidents are reported here. According to police records, four incidents were reported last year and five the year before that. On average, five to six drowning incidents occur at this spot annually,' he said. He added that the district administration had previously held meetings with the police and installed warning signboards — measures that evidently proved insufficient.

This pattern raises serious questions about why more robust physical barriers and enforcement were not put in place sooner, given the documented annual toll at this specific location.

What Comes Next

The district administration has been tasked with implementing the Minister's directives without delay. Authorities are expected to demarcate safe zones, erect barricades, and enforce access restrictions along the riverbank at Muthathi. Whether these measures will be sustained beyond the immediate news cycle — as past signboard installations were not — will determine whether the annual drowning toll at this stretch of the Cauvery finally falls.