In a bid to discourage people from clicking selfies or driving vehicles in dangerous spots risking lives, the government in flood-hit Odisha on Sunday said they should not underestimate the power of flowing water.
The warning came after two persons were killed while driving a vehicle that was swept by the swirling water of a river in the Sambalpur district.
“I am quoting a dialogue of a Hindi film with little modification. In the film, the hero says ‘don’t underestimate the power of the common man. I will like to say, do not underestimate the power of flowing water,” Development Commissioner P K Jena told reporters.
The dialogue is from the 2013 film 'Chennai Express' starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.
Jena, who is also the Special Relief Commissioner, said that it is really dangerous to run a vehicle on the flowing water because one does not know when it will be swept away.
“It may not be visible to the naked eye, but the flowing water has under current which will reduce the friction between the road and the tires of vehicles. In the process, the vehicle gets washed away,” he explained.
Earlier in the day, fire service personnel recovered the bodies of two men. The two were traveling in a car that was swept away by flood water near Kuchinda in Sambalpur district on Saturday evening.
"Request all 2b careful. Bravado in such a situation is not warranted. Let’s not underestimate the power of flowing water,” Jena tweeted.
He is optimistic that people will recall the film dialogue when they see water flowing on the road and make an attempt to cross it.
Jena said that a few days ago, four people along with their car were swept away by flood water in the Cuttack district. Fortunately, these people could be rescued by the Fire Service personnel in a three-hour-long operation.
Similarly, about 50 people have been rescued on Saturday evening when their country boat was washed away in the strong current of the flood water in the Mahanadi river in Kendrapara district.
(Inputs from PTI)
