Ghaziabad: In the scorching heat, a stretch of Upper Ganga Canal in Muradnagar — ‘Chota Haridwar’ — becomes a popular spot for swimming. However, danger lurks with 10 people having drowned within a month.In the latest incident, on Tuesday, a 36-year-old resident of Vijay Nagar, Harmeet, drowned while trying to save a child from the treacherous waters. This came on the heels of another incident when two teenagers from Delhi’s Karawal Nagar and Nandgram in Ghaziabad drowned here on Sunday. One of the bodies was found after 72 hours, 15 km downstream, while the other body is yet to be traced.
On last Tuesday, a 36-year-old resident of Vijay Nagar, Harmeet, died while trying to save a child from drowning in Muradnagar
This is not the first time that such incidents have rung alarm bells. In 2017, Loni MLA Nand Kishore Gujjar wrote to the district administration and chief minister, alleging that a gang is responsible for the drownings in Gang Nahar. He had claimed that 38 people had drowned here in a span of two months. An investigation ruled out any foul play.Explaining why the spot is fast becoming a black hole, the executive officer of Muradnagar Nagar Palika, Shailendra Kumar, said, “Chota Haridwar has acquired religious importance over time. Moreover, during summer, this stretch of the canal becomes a spot for recreation. People, especially the young, come from Delhi, Noida, Bulandshahr and Ghaziabad to enjoy a swim.”“There is a bridge running over the canal and some of them like to jump from it. They don’t realise that the current is swift. Many of them get washed away,” added Kumar.He said the administration has placed a net along the bridge, put up warning signage across the ghat, and cops also patrol the area. “But it is not possible to keep a watch all along the banks,” he said.Alarmed by the deaths, Ghaziabad district magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar has instructed officials to take measures. “The ghat has been closed, and barricades have been put on all lanes leading there after the DM’s visit,” Shailendra Kumar said.The irrigation department, which is the custodian of the canal, pointed out that it is used for irrigation. “It is not a place to swim and unwind. The average depth of the canal is about 12 feet, and the current is very strong. We have to regulate the current through a regulator at a little distance from Chota Haridwar to maintain the flow, which keeps the canal from drying during summer,” said an official.“Besides, the canal, unlike a river bed, is made of concrete with a slope. Water makes the surface slippery and people tend to get washed away. There is even an iron railing which warns people not to cross,” he said.The 185-km canal from Haridwar to Dasna, was built by the British in 1850s for irrigation. A Muradnagar resident, Sohan Singh, said, “Over time, the area became inhabited and the population moved closer to the canal, turning it into a popular haunt.”He recalled that about three years ago, people used to climb the rail bridge near Dasna-Masuri and, when the train approached, they jumped into the canal.
An NDRF official said in 2025, 14 rescue attempts were made. But only one person was saved.
Kunal Tiwari, deputy commandant of NDRF, 8th Battalion, said, “Over the past few months, we have been constantly receiving distress calls saying people have drowned in the canal. In 2026 alone, we made 11 attempts to rescue people, while in 2025, 14 attempts were made.” However, only one person was rescued last year.
