The tourism department is expecting foreign tourists as well, as the State has begun promoting hinterland and spiritual tourism overseas. Earlier this year, the Tourism Minister stated that “Goa is a holiday destination throughout the year. There is nothing called the end of the tourist season in the state”.
With the onset of the monsoon, Goa’s waterfalls, rivers and other water bodies become the point of attraction and with it comes along the safety concerns. Every year, the State takes on the burden of nearly 200 drowning deaths and the majority of them during the monsoon season – between June and September. Often tourists throw caution to the wind. They linger around unsafe zones and end up being dragged by strong undercurrents of the sea or the gushing river waters.
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According to the State government-appointed lifeguard agency that maintains vigil and carries out rescue and relief operations on the beaches and other water bodies, nearly 6,000 people have been rescued at Goa’s beaches and water bodies since 2008. The agency is operating at 40 locations, including beaches and two waterfalls. Apart from these 40 locations, there are other water bodies that are frequented by locals as well as tourists by virtue of their popularity on social media, but are not guarded by any government or private agency. There are many more locations that provide direct access to the rivers and the sea. And usually high on alcohol and overconfident of conquering the rough weather, many tourists have met a watery grave.
It is a fact that Goa’s coastline is perilous during the monsoon due to the strong intensity, height and frequency of the waves that lash the shores, which can easily drag people within no time and that would mean the end of life. Red flags are erected all along the beaches to indicate that the area is not suitable for swimming and to stop people from venturing into the waters. But beyond this, the government will have to take stringent measures to ensure that drowning incidents, especially during the monsoon, are avoided and a steady decline is achieved.
While the beaches are manned by lifeguards, the government together with the panchayats and municipalities should consider fencing high-risk and slippery locations that are frequented by people in order to dissuade the public from accessing these places. Besides, Goa has become a conference-cum-leisure destination, with most of the resorts providing easy and direct access to the beaches or water bodies to the guests. The resorts and agencies organising these events should mandatorily issue and display warnings regarding the dangers of wading into the waters.
The Tourism Department has been organising ‘monsoon treks’, a successful initiative that provides trekking enthusiasts an opportunity to explore the flora and fauna that are season-specific, with all safety parameters in check. This initiative needs to be upscale and promoted as a tourism event on the calendar of every agency and accommodation-providing entity, just like the tour packages to the most sought-after places in North Goa and South Goa.
The government will have to shift its focus from merely creating infrastructure to ensuring the safety of tourists, especially those who think they are daredevils. Ultimately, every death which is adding to the number is also leaving behind sad memories to the families that are losing these precious lives. ‘Safe destination’ is sought to be added to the tagline of Goa’s tourism promotion.
