Officials despair over drowning deaths

While four people have drowned at various beaches and lakes in the city this monsoon, the Mumbai Fire Brigade officials are wringing their hands in despair, citing inaccessible areas and lack of awareness among people as the reasons. The flood rescue team (FRT) has claimed these lives were lost at spots where it is impossible to deploy lifeguards, due to inaccessibility. It has also claimed that in most of these cases people have ignored warnings of high tide issued at beaches and have ventured into areas around lakes that have already been declared dangerous by the fire brigade.

P. Rahangdale, chief fire officer (CFO), said, “There is nothing more we can do, apart from repeated warnings and policing the areas. Some areas are inaccessible and unsafe even for the lifeguards. After we have dispersed people from one area, they steal their way into a more inaccessible and isolated part of the water body and the result is disastrous.”

Data from June reveals that the FRT personnel have rescued a total of 20 people from drowning. Four others lost their lives at Marine Drive, Shivaji Lake at Bhandup, Powai Lake, and Tulsi Lake. The death reported at Nariman Point occurred during high tide, as the youth was sitting on a tripod deep in the sea.

The FRT has accounted that incidents of drowning are common among young couples who venture into isolated territory for solitude, among groups of children who lose their way during a game, or among drunken youth. Repeated warnings from the FRT at the beaches prove futile in such cases.

Mr Rahangdale explained that some places like Marine Drive, Bandra Bandstand and Worli seaface cannot have lifeguards at all, as the terrain is rocky. People are not supposed to cross the promenade and enter the stone tripods. He said, “There are some examples like the Powai Lake which has crocodiles, so we cannot station lifeguards there. While incidents are common here, people have also reportedly ventured towards the Versova side of the Juhu beach, if they are dispersed from Juhu beach.”

The CFO said it is time Mumbai follows international standards and bans entry around water bodies during the night time.