July 29, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 25, 1429

KARACHI, July 28: The city government has planned to fence some dangerous spots on the 13-kilometre-long coastal belt to restrain beach-goers from bathing in the sea especially when it is rough from May to September.

Thousands of picnickers visit beaches on weekends and most of them, throwing caution to the wind, try to swim no matter how rough the sea is. Four picnickers were swept away, in two separate incidents, by high tides while they were bathing in the sea on Sunday.

Having an infrastructure of seven watchtowers and a total strength of 48 lifeguards, it is practically next to impossible for the city government to avert any major mishaps on the coastal belt that falls in its jurisdiction. The city government authorities hold picnickers responsible for any eventuality as they openly flout a ban imposed every year under Section 144 on bathing in the sea from May to September.

“I admit that the number of lifeguards at our beaches is insufficient,” said Executive District Officer (Municipal Services) Masood Alam.

“We have five lifeboats and 48 lifeguards but in addition to them, 30 volunteers living in nearby villages are working for us and they are born swimmers.” However, he cited a ban on recruitment behind the less number of lifeguards.

Mr Alam told Dawn that picnickers did not pay heed to advice of the lifeguards and violate the ban which often results in tragedies. “It is the duty of the area police to stop people from violating the ban as the lifeguards cannot fight with picnickers or their families,” he added.

To prevent any mishaps during the high-tide season, he said, the city government was planning to fence the dangerous points including Cape Montz, Neelum Point and Sonera Beach.

“People have little awareness of the risks at the sea and this is perhaps the only way to stop them from bathing in the sea especially at the dangerous points,” he observed.

Unfolding government’s plan to construct more watchtowers, he said: “The construction of more watchtowers, increasing the number of lifeguards and fencing on dangerous points will be integrated with the city government’s beach development programme.”

Equipped with wireless sets, 50 personnel of community police are patrolling round-the-clock at the coastal belt to prevent any mishap, the EDO said, adding that an emergency response centre comprising a 20-bed medical facility, ambulances and fire tenders was already working at the Hawksbay.

However, sources told Dawn that the ERC lacks modern equipment such as motorboats, diving kits and other tools required for surface and underwater rescue operation.