NDRF Pulls Tamil Nadu Pilgrim From Deep Water at Dandi Ghat

The 11th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force rescued a 63-year-old Tamil Nadu pilgrim from drowning at Dandi Ghat on Monday morning after he slipped into deep water while bathing in the Ganga around 7:30 am.

NDRF personnel on picket duty at the ghat spotted the man going under and started the rescue without delay. Using a life buoy, the team pulled him from the deep stretch and brought him safely to the bank, where he received immediate assistance. The rescued pilgrim was identified as S. Muthayan, a resident of Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu.

The force has again asked bathers to use only designated safe zones, stay out of deep water, and follow instructions issued by the administration and rescue teams. Monsoon and post-monsoon weeks, when the river is high and the current shifts, make those rules more than routine advice. Tuesday's separate climb of the gauge toward 68.25 m only underlines why deep bathing remains risky even when a ghat looks familiar.

Dandi Ghat sits on a stretch where pilgrims often enter the river for a morning dip. A sudden step into deeper water is enough to overwhelm someone who is not a strong swimmer. Having an NDRF picket on the spot turned what could have been a drowning into a successful bankside recovery. Devotees and locals present after the rescue praised the speed of the response.

This is not the first time NDRF teams have been visible on Varanasi's riverfront this season. Rising levels, boat bans and Pitru Paksha footfall have kept disaster and water police units on ghat patrols. Monday's Dandi Ghat rescue is a concrete example of that deployment working in real time rather than only as a standby order.

Muthayan's age and the depth of the water make the life-buoy method the practical choice. Teams train for exactly this: reach the person fast, keep flotation on them, and get them to solid steps. Once on the bank, basic assistance and a check for shock or water inhalation are the next steps before the pilgrim can move under his own care or to medical help if needed. Officials have not reported further medical complication in the public briefings available so far.

For outstation devotees who reach Kashi for the first time, the Ganga's edge can look gentler than it is when the channel is swollen. Local boatsmen and ghat workers know which steps drop off. Visitors often do not. That is why NDRF messaging keeps repeating the same three points: bathe only where marked safe, avoid deep water, and listen when rescue staff call people back.

Until the river eases and boat traffic returns, morning bathers should treat every wet lower step as a hazard. Monday's rescue at Dandi Ghat shows both the risk and the value of having trained teams already posted on the stone. S. Muthayan is alive because those teams were watching when he went under.