State beaches to go the Baywatch way

Safety features like signage, lifeguards equipped with water scooters and facilities like showers and changing rooms will be a reality soon, says tourism corporation

State beaches to go the Baywatch way

Safety features like signage, lifeguards equipped with water scooters and facilities like showers and changing rooms will be a reality soon, says tourism corporation

IF the state government's plans bear fruit, beaches in the state could soon match those in developed countries in terms of safety features and facilities.

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is working on making the beaches safer after Rs 10 crore was allocated for 'beach safety systems' in the state's budget for the coming fiscal. The beaches will be chosen based on the footfall and the number of accidents registered there.

Officials say theu00a0 lifeguards stationed at the beaches will have expertise and prior training in rescue ops.

"Initially, we are selecting only those beaches which see the most footfall and are frequented by tourists, and those where the most number of accidents have occurred.
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Each of these beaches will have signage to warn and instruct tourists about things like high tide timings.

Rescue teams consisting of lifeguards with expertise in using equipment like water scooters for rescue missions will also be stationed.
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We will be replicating the safety systems used in developed nations and will take lessons from states like Goa," said a senior MTDC official.

The corporation's manager, Kiran Urundkar, said, "The first few beaches on our list are Ganpatipule, Tarkarli, Harihareshwar and others based on the footfall and accident statistics.

Apart from putting safety systems in place, we are also in the process of providing facilities like cloakrooms, drinking water, toilets, changing rooms and showers at 15 beaches in the state."

Mumbai later

Mumbai's beaches do not, however, figure in MTDC's initial list. When Urundkar was asked why this was so, he said, "Mumbai's civic body takes care of beach facilities in the city.
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Besides, we can always start working on beaches in Mumbai after completing work in other places."

Hotspots
Ganpatipule, Alibaug, Harihareshwar, Malvan, Vengurla, Kashid, Alibaug, Murud-Janjira and Dapoli are known for their beaches. Apart from these, there are many other small beaches in the state which are equally, if not more, breathtakingly beautiful