PANJIM: In the wake of the cyclone alert for the next 32 hours and onset of monsoon, Drishti Marine has instructed those visiting the beach not to venture into the sea from June till the end of September.
In its advisory issued on Monday, the State-appointed lifeguards’ agency has further advised visitors to avoid rocky areas, cliffs and hills on the shoreline. “These are very slippery during monsoon season and also the height, intensity and frequencies of the waves are very high and one can easily get washed out. All rocky areas around the fort areas in Anjuna, Vagator and Tiracol are out of bounds during monsoons,” the advisory states.
Even as Drishti’s 600 -strong lifeguard force are manning Goa’s beaches all through the year, owing to the monsoons and the present weather conditions, red flags have been posted across all beaches under Drishti’s surveillance indicating that these are strictly non-swim zones.
Ravi Shankar, CEO, Drishti Marine has explained the safety advisory while also adding that even wading into the waters is not advisable. “Our team of lifeguards present along the coast is monitoring the weather conditions. The team is trained to carry out rescues even in rough weather. We however advise the visitors to not venture into the waters till the monsoon months,” he said.
River bathing including water sports activities is also restricted and can only be done under the supervision of trained and certified operators. In case of a dry spell over the next few months and depending on weather conditions, Drishti may open up a few beach stretches so that visitors can wade into the waters. “Goa’s coastline is quite complex and requires mapping every morning. If weather conditions are favourable, we may open up the zones on some of the beaches for visitors who want to wade into the water,” Shankar said.
