Video | Trekkers to Dudhsagar Falls defied a ban. So officials made them do sit-ups

A video showing a group of youngsters doing sit-ups as punishment has gone viral on social media. Media reports suggest that these trekkers were visiting the famous Dudhsagar waterfalls on the border of the Indian state of Goa and the punishment was meted out to them by officials of Railway Police. Their crime? Getting off the train before the scheduled station and crossing railway tracks on foot, something that is punishable according to the rules of the railways. But the punishment surely doesn't involve sit-ups. The video apparently shows the officials not wanting to inflict heavy punishment on the young travellers but wanting to make them realise that they have done something wrong.

Dudhsagar Falls (literal translation 'A sea of milk') is a favourite tourist spot for someone who doesn't mind a bit of trekking. The waterfalls, together with the lush greenery that surrounds it, make for a scenic location. The waterfalls become especially beautiful during the ongoing Monsoon season.

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The visitors to the falls often walk along tracks of the South Western Railway line to reach Dudhsagar after getting off at Collem station in South Goa.

However, Goa Police, the Forest Department, along with the Railways have now issued orders banning trekking during monsoon to prevent the likelihood of mishaps.

Just last week, the Goa Police banned people from visiting waterfalls in the state after two deaths at Mainapi waterfall in Sanguem taluka.

The South Western Railway tweeted, urging people not to walk along the tracks.

"We urge you to savour the beauty of Dudhsagar Falls from within your coach. Walking on/along tracks not only endangers your own safety but is also an offence under sections 147, 159 of Railway Act. It can also endanger the safety of trains," it tweeted.

Dudhsagar Falls are at a height of 1017 feet. It has its origins in the river Mandovi on the Western Ghats.

In Goa, there are many examples of tourists taking a shortcut to reach destinations of their choice. For example, a particular train travelling towards Madgaon in South Goa often stops at a station named Thivimin North Goa. This is an unauthorised stop for this particular train and passengers are not allowed to alight at Thivim. However, passengers wanting to reach North Goa quickly take the unauthorised option of alighting at Thivim in this particular case.

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