Tourist drowns at Sugga Bandh Waterfall in PTR

PNS

Daltonganj

A 25-year-old tourist from Garhwa drowned while swimming in the plunge pool of the Sugga Bandh waterfall under the Bareysanr Range of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Jharkhand’s Latehar district on Sunday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Ayush Tiwary, a resident of Garhwa town. According to forest officials, Tiwary was a technocrat employed outside Jharkhand and had been working from home for the past several weeks.

The incident occurred at around 3 pm when Tiwary, who had visited the popular tourist spot with three friends in an SUV, reportedly jumped into the deep plunge pool at the base of the waterfall. According to PTR sources, he appeared excited before entering the water but soon lost control and drowned.

One of his friends attempted to rescue him but also found himself in distress. He was eventually pulled out of the water by local residents, preventing another tragedy.

Forester-in-Charge Saket Pandey said the incident was first reported by a member of the local Eco Development Committee. The Palamu Tiger Reserve’s Quick Response Team reached the site within 12 minutes, while the local police also arrived almost simultaneously.

With the assistance of local residents, the forest department personnel recovered Tiwary’s body from the plunge pool.

Expressing deep grief over the incident, Kumar Ashish, Deputy Director (South Division), Palamu Tiger Reserve, urged visitors to strictly follow safety guidelines while visiting tourist destinations within the reserve.

“We keep advising tourists to adhere to safety protocols at all times, whether during wildlife sightings or while visiting water bodies. Unfortunately, many ignore these instructions, become overly adventurous, and such behaviour often leads to tragic mishaps,” Ashish said.