On a summer’s holiday in Sinquerim a few
years ago, Shriparna Mukherjea and her sister Piya signed up for a parasailing
ride. Aloft in the air for just a few minutes, their exhilarating ride turned
into a nightmare as the harness snapped and the duo plummeted into the rough
sea along with the sail. As the boat sped away, the girls stayed buoyant only
with life jackets and had to battle the tide and the sail dragging them down.
With no rescue in sight, they managed to get to shore themselves. “The boat
just vanished and no one came to our rescue. It was scary. Unfortunately, we
could not even file a complaint as we did not know the name of the operator.
Like most tourists who visit this beach just outside the Fort Aguada, we
presumed that they were all licensed operators,” recalls Shripama.
The incident is a reflection of what
actually transpires on the beach, despite the safety norms stipulated in the
Water Sports Policy. “Although it would seem that certain systems are in place,
water sports are in a total mess. There are too many operators and though most
have a licence, not everyone complies with the safety norms. All the rules are
on paper, but there is hardly anyone to monitor them. We need a more vigilant
marine police who will enforce these rules,” maintains Charles Rodrigues,
owner, Atlantis Water Sports, who has been in operation since 1993.
While citing the fact that water sport
related accidents have reduced after certain systems like counters, supervisors
and coastal police have been put in place, Director, Department of Tourism,
Goa, Ameya Abhyankar agrees that more needs to be done to ensure that safety
remains paramount. “A new tourism act is coming into force which will
incorporate the best safety practices in the country. A single window system is
another step in this direction. We have been enforcing the rules more
stringently. In fact, we have issued notices to defaulters and even suspended
some. But for us to be fully effective we need a larger number of tourist
police or a territorial army to man the 120 km coastline. As of now, with the
exception of police boats, there is no other aid,” he states. To up the ante on
safety and create more awareness among operators, the department is planning a
training programme for operators in search and rescue. “Whoever has a licence
must have a basic knowledge of rescue, so by the time the first responder
reaches, they can react,” he envisages.
The NIWS, which has been brought on board
to train, certify and advice as well as reinforce safety policies, believes Goa
tops the safety list. “With the exception of a few stray incidents, by and
large safety norms in Goa are up to the mark. Goa has one of the best organised
water sports in the country and the Goa government is bringing in new enforcement
policies,” opines Dr Sutheeshna Babu, Nodal Officer, NIWS, Goa.
The inevitable question is, are we totally
at sea or riding the safe wave? Perhaps both, but a move in the right direction
by the powers that be, could steer water sports out of troubled waters.
