Team Herald
CALANGUTE: Watersports activities including all boat rides have been suspended for two days in the Calangute-Candolim beach-belt due to the orange alert issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). This comes after a boat carrying 12 tourists capsized off Baga beach on Thursday due to rough sea conditions following thunderstorms in the last couple of days.
According to watersports operators, Thursday's incident was a very rare one. “All tourists have to wear lifejackets so there is no possibility of anyone drowning even if they fall into the water. But on Thursday, some of them got trapped under the overturned boat. When that happens they can suffocate. Luckily the incident happened close to the shore at Baga where the waves are low, so they could be easily rescued. If it had happened in the middle of the Calangute beach stretch then it would have been a different story,” John Silveira, a senior watersports operator said.
The Calangute-Candolim tourism hub has a variety of watersports available, stakeholders said, such as jet-skis, speed boats, dolphin boats which seat 12 and other boats for short joyrides which can seat six or eight passengers. There are also para-sailing boats where tourists can go up in a parachute-like contraption.
Stakeholders said it's still early days in the season and only a few boat rides have started. The ‘official’ watersports booking counters are also yet to start. Following fights between watersports operators, the tourism department had put a ‘queue’ system in place so that all operators get equal business. “The queue system is there and largely followed, but the Calangute-Candolim beach stretch is so long and the watersports operators spread all over, so at times it becomes difficult to follow the queue system. It's not like at the Sinquerim jetty where all the boats leave from one spot,” a watersports operator said.
There are seven booking counters along this beach stretch, at Baga, Tito's lane, Khobrawaddo, Calangute main beach, Gauravaddo, Candolim promenade and Sinquerim. While the rates for the various boat rides are fixed, there are “ups and downs” depending on the demand, a stakeholder said. The booking counters and queue system also acts as a self-regulating system so that no extra passengers are taken over the capacity, stakeholders said.
When contacted, Calangute panchayat members said they had no role in the watersports business. “The boat licences are issued by the Captain of Ports and the Department of Tourism,” they said.
Stating that it was an unregistered boat, the Department of Tourism has seized the boat owned by Ralph Mascarenhas, for operating without registration and compliance with the Department.
Director of Tourism SuneelAnchipaka, IAS, said that strict action wil be taken against any unregistered activities in waters. Boat operators must comply with all regulatory requirements to ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future.
The operation of unauthorised boats in Goa's waters is a serious violation of State regulations and poses significant risks to passenger safety. The safety and well-being of our visitors are our top priority.”