Rip current claims lives at Vizag beach

Visakhapatnam: The serial drowning deaths in the blue waters of Bay of Bengal due to presence of dangerous rip current is not only spoiling the beach fun but also the potential of beach tourism in north coastal AP.

The number of drowning deaths in the sea at Visakhapatnam beaches rose to 16 this year including the recent B Tech student, who went on missing last week.

Rip current is strong and narrow current of water moving away from the shore and cause drowning deaths. The presence of the dangerous current along the Vizag beaches will be forecast through a website, mobile apps and other media. People can check the website and know the location of the rip current at a given point of time with their risk index.

According to Andhra University Meteorology and Oceanography department senior professor KVSR Prasad, who is studying the rip current phenomenon, said that in coastal AP, more than 350 people had drowned due to rip currents between 2000 to 2010 and only 10 people were rescued. 

The city recorded highest drowning deaths with 293 cases. In Goa, rip current forecast is being done and disseminated through a website by a private agency with the help of Space Application Centre, but the prediction is purely statistical one. However, the model adapted for Vizag beach rip tide forecast will be diagnostic one that includes satellite images and new technologies.   

The Department of Meteorology and Oceanography of Andhra University, in association with ISRO and DRDO, has taken up the rip current forecast project to gather data of the shallow currents for one year. The project could complete by 2018-end and the Met and Oceanography department is ready to forecast the rip currents along the popular beaches of Vizag through the website.