DAINIK NATION BUREAU
The ministry of tourism has advised all states and union territories to identify tourist spots which are prone to accidents and erect signs warning visitors of the dangers involved in taking selfies at such locations, the government said today.
In his reply to a question uploaded on the Lok Sabha website, K J Alphons, the minister of state for tourism, said that while the ministry does not compile data regarding the number of accidents at tourist sites while clicking selfies, it has issued an advisory over it to the states.
“Posting of volunteers/tourist police at such identified places, if feasible. Sensitisation through public address systems and spreading awareness through social and other media campaigns,” Alphons said were measures recommended in the advisory sent out.
The minister said the ministry has also asked the state governments to barricade areas wherever possible danger is identified for tourists to avoid such accidents.
The advisory also stated that signs warning visitors of the dangers involved in taking selfies at such locations should be erected.
According to a recent study published in International Journal of Mental Health, India ranks number one when it comes to accidents related to selfies, accounting for almost 60 per cent of the total selfie accidents that happen throughout the world.