NAVI MUMBAI: The incident of drowning at Kashid beach in Murud taluka on Monday, in which two school students lost their lives, has once again highlighted the need for better security and presence of more lifeguards at the beach.
While Raigad police team and some private lifeguards working for sports acitivity operators at the beach managed to save school principal Dhairyasheel Kere and two class X students of Sane Guruji Madhyamik Vidyalay in Aurangabad, school peon Sajjan Kadam helplessly saw his son Pranav drown along with one other student.
TimesView
Beaches in the city and other parts of the Konkan belt where tragic drowning incidents have been taking place need special attention from state and local authorities. While a warning display board will do little to stop picnickers from venturing into the sea, governmentappointed lifeguards and emergency tool kits are therefore required in tourist places like the Kashid beach in Raigad. Beat marshalls of local police stations must also regularly patrol such tricky coastal shores.
Locals and activists have raised alarm over repeated incidents of drowning due to lax security at the beach. Most of the water sports operators and lifeguards of Kashid beach were enjoying a bullock cart race when the incident took place.
A total of 88 persons had headed for an excursion to Raigad in two ST buses. After visiting Janjira Fort on Monday, they turned to Kashid beach in the afternoon where tragedy struck.