TIME

Thursday, September 6, 2007



Beach patrol, a la Baywatch style!

Well, that’s what is going to unfold at ‘namma’ Panambur beach in Mangalore.
Lifeguards, beach marshals, rescue equipment, signboards - all set to transform Panambur into a Venice beach-like experience. Of course, it will be a de-glamourised version as there won’t be the likes of Pamela Anderson to execute rescue operations!
The first of its kind along Karnataka’s 320-km coastline, the Dakshina Kannada district administration will introduce beach-safety on the two-km long Panambur beach by deploying lifeguards who will dare the waves to save tourists in trouble.
Speaking to TOI, Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner, M Maheshwara Rao said, “We have invited expressions of interest from organisations with expertise on beach safety. Tenders will be finalised soon.” The beach, which attracts over 10,000 tourists during any given weekend, is quite high in terms of accidents.
“Tourists are naturally inclined to swim in the sea. Even those who know how to swim fail to gauge the intensity of the current and risk their lives and of others,’’ said Rao.
Most tourists are first-timers. At present, safety measures are minimal at the beach, so every year, 15-20 drowning cases are registered. The recent tragedies were the drowning of three engineering students hailing from Salem in Tamil Nadu.
Lifeguards will be employed from the local Mogaveera community (that of fishermen) on a monthly salary basis, also augmenting their employment opportunities.
Along with Karnataka, the concept of beach safety is taking shape in Maharashtra and Goa too. While 22 swimmers have volunteered to work as lifeguards at the crowded Juhu Beach in Mumbai since March this year, Goa is gearing up to put in place 54 lifeguards on all its beaches by the next tourist season. Assuring tourists a sense of security is the prime motive behind this deployment.
Courtesy: TOI
Beach patrol, a la Baywatch style! Well, that’s what is going to unfold at ‘namma’ Panambur beach in Mangalore.
Lifeguards, beach marshals, rescue equipment, signboards - all set to transform Panambur into a Venice beach-like experience. Of course, it will be a de-glamourised version as there won’t be the likes of Pamela Anderson to execute rescue operations!
The first of its kind along Karnataka’s 320-km coastline, the Dakshina Kannada district administration will introduce beach-safety on the two-km long Panambur beach by deploying lifeguards who will dare the waves to save tourists in trouble.
Speaking to TOI, Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner, M Maheshwara Rao said, “We have invited expressions of interest from organisations with expertise on beach safety. Tenders will be finalised soon.” The beach, which attracts over 10,000 tourists during any given weekend, is quite high in terms of accidents.
“Tourists are naturally inclined to swim in the sea. Even those who know how to swim fail to gauge the intensity of the current and risk their lives and of others,’’ said Rao.
Most tourists are first-timers. At present, safety measures are minimal at the beach, so every year, 15-20 drowning cases are registered. The recent tragedies were the drowning of three engineering students hailing from Salem in Tamil Nadu.
Lifeguards will be employed from the local Mogaveera community (that of fishermen) on a monthly salary basis, also augmenting their employment opportunities.
Along with Karnataka, the concept of beach safety is taking shape in Maharashtra and Goa too. While 22 swimmers have volunteered to work as lifeguards at the crowded Juhu Beach in Mumbai since March this year, Goa is gearing up to put in place 54 lifeguards on all its beaches by the next tourist season. Assuring tourists a sense of security is the prime motive behind this deployment.
Courtesy: TOI

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