More awareness needed to reduce drowning deaths

Visakhapatnam: Though they are several remedies to prevent the drowning deaths in the Bay of Bengal, the experts are suggesting creating social awareness about the danger at the blue waters is best option among several others. With the high rip currents being prevailed in blue waters, the beaches in Visakhapatnam from Yarada to Bheemili are not safe for bathing and one should not venture into waters.

During the past one decade, over 755 drowning deaths were reported in Visakhapatnam beaches and majority of the victims are below 25-year-old youth only. With recent tragedy at Yarada beach, the State government has directed the district administration to initiate immediate preventive measures to ensure no more drowning deaths in the sea. 

With number of drowning deaths increasing ever year, the government felt very unhappy as it would create negative impact on the tourism development. In fact, there is a high-level committee comprising district administration, police, VUDA, GVMC, Eastern Naval Command, Indian Coast Guard, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, National Institute of Oceanography and Andhra University officials to look after the safety of the beaches and safety of human lives.

Though there are tall plans to arrest the erosion of beaches and safety of human lives at the beaches, due to the lack of proper funds nothing was materialised so far. “Beach should not be considered as land. First, the construction in any manner on the beaches and plantation should be stopped.

There are several preventive measures could be adopted to ensure zero drowning deaths in Visakhapatnam and social awareness is the first and best option. Meanwhile, technically approved concrete barriers, floating meshes and promotion of sea pools to be take up across the dangerous beaches to prevent the drowning deaths,” former professor in Geo-Engineering, Andhra University Kakani Nageswara Rao told The Hans India.

The professor had conducted studies on the rip currents in Visakhapatnam beaches for about 10 years and his findings were also published in several publications. The professor said that the administration should create more awareness on the threat of lives at the Visakhapatnam beaches. Japan has constructed several types of barriers to prevent the drowning deaths, he added.

While observing the number of drowning deaths, the then Commissioner of Police J Poornachandra Rao appointed community guards and expert swimmers at most dangerous beaches. However, no government agency has come forward to pay the wages for them. Some commercial establishments have sponsored the wages for the community guards.

While reviewing the preventive measures to ensure zero drowning deaths in Visakhapatnam, District Collector Pravin Kumar also accepted that there was some problem to pay the wages for the community guards and expert swimmers who are saving the lives during emergencies. The Collector said that the administration would write to the government for sanctioning exclusive funds to pay the wages to the guards.