The drowning of a tourist off Baga beach on Saturday indicates how vulnerable the Goa’s coastline could be without lifeguarding services. With desi tourists flocking to Goa round the year and soaking themselves in merriment and splendour of the seas, beach safety and management have become crucial and need to be taken very seriously. Beaches cannot be left unmanned. Exposing visitors to open waters could snatch lives and also backfire on Goa’s tourism in a big way.
The over 550-odd lifeguards employed by Drishti Lifesaving Pvt Ltd have been manning the beaches since 2008 and have saved nearly 4,000 lives till now. Drishti Lifesaving boasts of being the largest and premier water safety and rescue service in India. But it continues to fight its own internal battles and disputes with its labour force which have been simmering in the background for over a decade. From salary issues to regularization of services, a section of the workforce has been constantly at loggerheads with the management. There have been protests and strikes and if we may recall, in December 2015 government had to even invoke ESMA because the lifeguards went on an indefinite strike.
In the immediate case, lifeguards have come out openly accusing Drishti of non-payment of salaries and other dues. They have cried foul over not getting timely salaries and of being deprived of even the basic facilities like drinking water while on duty. On the flip side, the company has blamed it on the government for not clearing their dues amounting to Rs 10 crore. The question that Drishti must answer is, why should lifeguards be made scapegoats in such a situation? Lifeguards who have been saviours and foot-soldiers on our beaches have fought rescue battles in even adverse weather conditions. They cannot be made to pay the price of an internal discord between Drishti and the government. It is for the government and Drishti to sort out deficiencies in agreement and other inadequacies.
Beach safety patrol and the few government lifeguards are not in a position to do justice to the job handled by Drishti lifeguards. There may be no-swimming zones and no-selfie zones, and there may be red flags fluttering across the shore, but what is required is beach management and vigilant lifeguards, not stop-gap arrangements.
Beach safety is one aspect which is underrated in the tourism profile of Goa. It has not been given enough seriousness it deserves, despite the fact that most tourists prefer to venture out in the sea. Human life can end in seconds in the absence of any help at hand. Tourists, some of whom over-estimate their swimming capabilities, are unfamiliar with the strong under-currents and the deep spots arising out of shifting sands. The sudden undertows and riptides can pull swimmers deep inside the sea making it extremely difficult to swim back to the shore.
The lifeguards have publicly vent out their frustration and this doesn’t augur well for a tourist State like Goa. They need to be heard and authorities must ensure that they are at least provided the basic facilities. Lifeguarding beaches in Goa and beach safety are undoubtedly crucial aspects related to Goa’s tourism. A spurt in sea fatalities could scar the reckoning it enjoys for its beaches. It’s time government steps in.
