Water sports, drunken tourists pose challenge to lifeguards

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-01-13
PANAJI- Unregulated water sports activities, drunken tourists and reluctance of people to heed to the requests of the lifeguards not to venture into non-designated swimming areas are some of the biggest challenges faced by the lifeguards of Surf Life Saving Goa manning the designated areas under their control.
Despite the odd the lifeguards of Surf Life Saving Goa appear to have done extremely well as the number of deaths due to drowning in the current tourist season is just three – from Baga to Sinquerim and from Velsao to Benaulim. The other beaches are manned by lifeguards of the tourism department.
According to tourism department officials, the number of deaths at other beaches is also in a single digit this year. Recently Bogmallo has been added to the list of areas under the control of Surf Life Saving Goa after some incidents were reported from the area and services are provided there free of cost.
Of the three deaths that have been reported under the command of Surf Life Saving Goa two were attributed to water sports activities.
While the lone drowning death that occurred at a South Goa beach was due to attitude of the youth, who chose to ignore the warnings of the lifeguards and entered into an area which had trough and got drowned.
The chairman of Drishti Special Response Services Pvt Ltd who also operates the Surf Life Saving Goa, Mr Rajiv Somani said that despite all the odds the lifeguards have been rendering professional services, never witnessed before in Goa, as a result of which at least 60 people have been saved from drowning and death till date, ever since the professional services were started since October 1, 2008. The state had been recording at least 70 deaths per year due to drowning off the beaches.
Mr Somani further said that he has employed 152 Goan youth as lifeguards who work in tandem. They have been advised to work in pairs while carrying out rescue operations and that they have been provided with all state-of-art equipment required for life saving. Besides, five especially trained personnel have been deployed to train the local lifeguards in operating high-speed craft to reach out to drowning personnel.
The Goa government signed an agreement of Drishti to provide life saving services to the state following a large number of deaths (mostly of tourists) due to drowning off the state’s beaches. The services were to be provided at a cost of Rs 12.71 crore, which included Rs 8.77 crore for equipment including four-wheel jeeps, jet skis, 4 rib speed craft, and other equipment necessary for rescue services. Rest of the amount of Rs 3.94 crore is recurring expenditure to meet the salary and other expenses.
The contract has been signed for 10 years, which is to be renewed after five years. Besides, there is a proposal to include other beaches of the state so that professional services could be provided at all the remaining places (from Vagator to Keri in North Goa and from south of Benaulim to Canacona) in the second phase.
The expenses for the second phase could be to the tune of Rs 8 crore, said Mr Somani adding that the services provided by his firm were thoroughly professional. He said that there has been delay in clearing Rs 5.51 crore dues and that the government has agreed to make the payment. Stating that there was total transparency in providing the services, he agreed to external audit through International Rescue Association or Surf Life Saving, Australia.
The Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat said that there was some problem in clearing the dues but said the amount would be released in next four to five days after reconciliation.