Jaipur tourist electrocuted at Colva beach, but live wire not removed even 24 hours later

Ugly truths crack open abject negligence in GTDC’s ‘beautification’ project
Jaipur tourist electrocuted at Colva beach, but live wire not removed even 24 hours later
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COLVA: In a bizarre incident, a tourist from Jaipur died after he was accidentally electrocuted on Colva Beach on Thursday. The incident occurred just behind the Colva Beach beautification project near the children’s park. 

According to witnesses, 40-year-old Uma Shankar Sharma had just returned from a swim in the sea and was sitting near the children’s park when his leg accidentally touched a live wire. He died on the spot. 

Further, in an appalling lapse, the live wire was not attended to or earthed even 24 hours post the fatality, when Benaulim MLA Venzy Veigas carried out an inspection of the spot late Friday evening.

Viegas expressed shock that the electrical wires were still out in the open and not put under the ground even after a tourist was killed. He pointed to the faulty earthing near the pole that electrocuted the tourist.

“On speaking to the Electricity Department and Chief Engineer (CE) of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), I found that the GTDC has not yet handed over this area to the electricity department. I also found that a contractor handles the maintenance of the electrical work, but it is clear that it is in bad shape, and even today, someone could get hurt,” said Viegas.

The incident elicited anger and dismay from locals, who called for the resignation of Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte. “If we want tourism to continue in Goa, we have to maintain everything properly. Khaunte visited Colva beach at the beginning of July and said he would take care of everything, but look at what has happened!” said Salvador Vas, a resident of Colva. “Will the government compensate the family of the victim, who was probably an earning member?” he asked. Another Colva local Alex D'Souza told reporters that live wires are seen out in the open, at several places across the newly-revamped garden at Colva Beach, posing a serious hazard to families visiting the picnic spot. 

Veigas called for GTDC to conduct an enquiry into the incident. “The contractor should be penalised, and the government should also provide compensation to the family of this tourist,” the MLA added. “I have instructed the CE to immediately send staff, and to ensure that this issue is addressed by Saturday. I was in the Assembly, and could not come earlier. I have raised this issue during the zero hour, but it will come up on Monday,” Veigas told reporters. Admitting that the image of Goa as a world-class tourist destination was tarnished by such accidents, Veigas demanded that GTDC authorities immediately inspect all the beaches and other areas where they have done beautification work to see if there was any such leaking electrical charge. 

Local activist Warren Alemao squarely blamed the incident on the “carelessness and negligence of the Benaulim MLA.”

 “What happened to Venzy Viegas’s ‘Operation Disaster Management’? Was it only for publicity? Did he follow it up post his visit to Colva Beach? The problems with the infrastructure at the beach had been highlighted during the recent inspection but no action had been taken as yet,” Warren alleged.

He also pointed out that a lamp fixture from a damaged streetlight almost hit a tourist recently, and questioned if the government was serious in resolving the issues that pose a danger to tourists.  

Herald Goa
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