#This Indian district will punish you for taking selfies

We all have known people who go to extreme lengths to take selfies anywhere. But being adventurous for selfies could lead to fatal accidents, and to prevent that, an Indian district is strictly banning selfies — especially at tourist spots.

The district of Dang, situated in the western state of Gujarat, is home to Saputara hills — a famous tourist attraction. According to a report from the Times of India, the local authorities issued an order last week that categorizes taking selfies as a criminal offense:

With the start of monsoon, there has been a huge influx of tourists in Dang. While enjoying nature, many act irresponsibly by taking selfies which lead to accidents that could prove fatal. The notification has been issued to prevent such incidents. Issuing the notification is a good move that will empower law enforcement agencies to take action against those found behaving irresponsibly.

The district has witnessed several selfie-related accidents in the past. In 2018, a woman slipped while taking a selfie, only to survive by falling into bushes.

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While it makes sense to ban self-portraits on tourist spots, it’s bizarre to prohibit them in the whole district. Imagine getting penalized for taking a selfie with your friends in a restaurant.

According to a study by the US National Library of Medicine, India tops the list of selfie-related deaths from 2011 to 2017 with 259 fatalities. After the publication of the report, India asked its states to declare accident-prone tourist spots as no-selfie zones.