Saving Tourists

EDITORIAL
Posted on 2008-10-31
THE latest initiative of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation to provide safety to tourists has started paying dividends. Lifeguards claim to have saved 28 persons from drowning during the past one-month or so. By any standard, this is a very heartwarming achievement. Perhaps the revelation that 75 per cent of the saved persons were under the influence of alcohol has not come as a surprise as tourists, thanks to the stereotype of Goa and the Goan way of entertainment, often spice up their holidaying in the state with alcoholic spirits. But then, do not blame Goa and these tourists alone. Drinking overly is becoming a common feature at almost all the beaches in the world. With easy accessibility of alcohol and drugs at the beaches this is bound to happen.
Now that we are trying to put a preventive system in place in the state, lifeguards have to ensure that tourists do not cross into danger zones. Tourists are on vacation and looking for adventures, which is why the lifeguards would have to be more cautious in ensuring that they do not tread into the restricted and dangerous zones in the sea. The GTDC and the concerned group should not only put up the ‘danger’ signs but also see to it that tourists do not violate them.
Though the new group has started working it is still not fully equipped. The tourism department should ensure that they are equipped with binoculars, cameras, walkie-talkies, radio sets and other technological gadgets to monitor the swimming areas. Since the beaches do not have medical care centres, the tourism department should also see to it that some kind of mobile medical assistance is available. Goa has a 105 km coastline, but the present system will monitor only a stretch of 50 km with the help of 52 trained lifeguards. Still some favourite beaches, like Anjuna and Palolem are lying unmanned. In recent times, a number of drowning deaths had occurred at Palolem.
Though the GTDC has been trying to modernise the system of safety, its failure to appoint an additional 48 lifeguards to the coastline has been the matter of concern. A PIL was also moved in this regard before the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court, with suggestions that the government engage motorboats in rescue operations and put beach nets to make the beaches safe. The GTDC has launched this scheme with the initial cost of £20m. But the moot question remains, what next? Once the money is exhausted and the term of the agreement is over, will the GTDC succeed in its endeavour? To make the safety a sustainable feature, it should look for other alternatives too.