Dehradun, June 12 -- Uttarakhand government has decided to identify and designate 'No-Selfie Zones' at rivers, waterfalls, deep gorges, ravines and other accident-prone tourist locations across the state to curb the growing number of mishaps linked to social media content creation and photography. The directive was issued by Vinod Kumar Suman, Secretary, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department, during a two-day national training programme on pre-monsoon preparedness that commenced in Dehradun on Thursday. Expressing concern over the increasing trend of making social media reels and taking selfies at dangerous locations, Suman said people were often "compromising their safety in pursuit of online popularity, resulting in a rise in accidents". He directed all districts to identify sensitive and accident-prone sites and notify them as 'No-Selfie Zones'. He also issued Instructions for installation of warning signboards, barricading and other necessary safety measures at such locations, officials said. The secretary also suggested developing designated 'Selfie-Safe Zones' at suitable locations so that tourists can capture photographs and videos without exposing themselves to danger while enjoying the state's natural beauty. The announcement was made during a two-day national workshop on pre-monsoon preparedness jointly organised by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) and the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) here Inaugurating the programme, Lt Col Raghuvir Singh Bhandari (Retd.), Vice-Chairman, State Disaster Management Advisory Committee, stressed the "need to strengthen disaster preparedness at the community level and train every citizen to act as a first responder during emergencies". He said traditional knowledge possessed by local communities in mountainous regions "should be preserved and integrated with modern technologies for effective disaster management". "People living in the hills have developed a deep understanding of weather patterns, geological formations, water sources and natural warning signs through generations of experience. This knowledge can play a significant role in disaster risk assessment," said Bhandari....