August 5, 2004

Sixty-seven people have drowned so far this year. The high-tide season will continue for another month, and there are chances that the toll may rise if more effective life-saving measures are not taken along the 35-kilometre coastal stretch, writes Naseer Ahmed

Two young men sit on the rock formation sloping into the sea at what is known as Paradise Point. Believing that they are quite safe from the water menacingly pulsating below, they enjoy the fruit they had bought on their way to the beach at Mauripur. Suddenly, a particularly nasty wave leaps up the slope and over their heads. They are dragged down the rock several feet but mercifully not into the sea.

Shaking with fright, they scramble up the slope to safety. A man on guard duty comes running towards them and admonishes them for crossing the pillars meant to warn picnickers against going beyond the area. It was a working day, and thus, not many people were around. The only guard posted there was perhaps unaware or not doing his duty properly to see the two adults cross the line.

This is what usually happens on the beaches on the periphery of Karachi. Either the picnickers are unaware of the danger around them, or too enthusiastic to heed any warning. On the other hand the lifeguards who are supposed to stop them from going near the danger points are unable to do so effectively.

In such circumstances, 67 people have drowned so far this year. Very recently, six-year-old Wahid Ahmed accompanied his family to see the Sonehra Point, a spot popular for the sea’s changing colours. The child was playing in the water apparently in a safe place near the beach, when a strong current swept him into the sea. His desperate father, 32-year-old Abrar Ahmed Chohan, plunged after him. Both the father and child drowned, leaving the rest of the family to wail and grieve.

Yet another tragedy that befell a North Nazimabad family last month, took five lives. Five-year-old Rabia, eight-year-old Obaid and 10-year-old Bilal were sitting on the tall red rocks at Phakora Beach. They were engrossed in watching the huge waves break against these rocks when a towering wave swept over them. They could not withstand the impact and fell into the ferocious water. Their father, 40-year-old Mohammad Saeed, and uncle 35-year-old Mohammad Jehangir, jumped after them in an attempt to save them. All the five persons perished.

The same day, 40-year-old Mohammad Riaz and his 13-year-old son were among the three people who drowned near the Sonehra Point. Seven people had gone to picnic at the beach from Chawkiwara in a police mobile.

Each tragedy has its heart-wrenching details. A mother’s only son dying, a family’s sole bread-earner passing away; a toddler, a youth, a young woman engaged to be married; all victims to the deadly waves.

Sixty-seven drownings is a large number considering that these deaths were preventable. The high-tide season will continue for another month, and there are chances that the toll may rise if more effective life-saving measures are not taken along the 32-35 kilometres coastal stretch.

It is heartening to see that the city government has started acting in its limited capacity. A number of safety and rescue measures are visible at the picnic spots. Lately, Neelum Point, Cape Montze and Sonehra Point have been banned for beach-goers. On holidays, lifeguards in their orange T-shirts and policemen in their uniforms are discernible among the crowds.

The city government’s fire department has 46 lifeguards on its payroll. It has set up an Emergency Response Centre at main Hawkesbay. Besides, the ERC has three first-aid clinics, an ambulance and a fire tender. Three Edhi ambulances with a few lifeguards are on the alert at the ERC premises. In all, the Edhi Foundation has 10 ambulances equipped with first-aid items on the Karachi and Gaddani beaches. The ERC also has a dispensary with five beds and necessary medical equipment and medicines. It has 12 inflatable life jackets and two diving suits in its store. The ERC also helps people in road accidents and other emergencies in the area.

Another NGO, Pakistan Aquatic Life Saving (PALS), has also joined in the efforts. It claims to have posted 100 trained volunteers on the beaches to help picnickers on holidays. Being residents of fishermen villages along the coast, these volunteers are born swimmers. They have further been trained in rescue work by the Pakistan Navy’s divers and by a foreign team.

Chief Fire Officer Kazim Ali, who runs the ERC, likes working with the Edhi Foundation and PALS. “We are all working for the same cause. So why not join hands to do it more effectively,” he says.

The ERC helps not only the people along the beaches in the city government’s jurisdiction, but also at other places such as the Malir and Lyari rivers and canals in the suburban areas.

“After the recent death of a girl off the Gaddani beach, the Karachi nazim has asked us to post lifeguards on that point also,” says Ali. “Although it is the responsibility of the Balochistan government to take care of picnickers at Gaddani, most people visiting it are from Karachi. And, therefore, the pressure falls on the city government if some incident happens there.”

There are five watch towers, one in a very bad shape, manned by lifeguards from 9am to 8pm. There were 10 such towers earlier, five of which have disintegrated and vanished. Four of them have been restored by an NGO, Barkati Foundation.

Piled into every mode of transport, as people arrived at the Paradise Point last Sunday, lifeguards were seen whistling at young men and women to warn them that they were crossing into the forbidden area. A pair of mounted policemen stood just behind the crowds. When asked what their duty was, head constables Munsub and Aslam said they were watching the mood of the crowd. “If they cooperate with the lifeguards, we let them enjoy themselves. If they don’t, we intervene with our batons and push them back.”

Since the city government cannot afford to scare people away from the beaches, it has to make these spots more attractive with better life-saving measures. And the present problems have to be addressed.

The road leading to these beaches is potholed and broken at many places. Rizwan Edhi proposes that the roads should not only be built solidly but should also have trees along them. “They can use water from the nearby sewerage drain to grow and nurture trees without much expense.”

Apparently the truck stand cannot be removed from its place on the Hawkesbay road. But the truckers can be disciplined by a few traffic policemen if posted there on holidays. Trailers and trucks parked on the road hinder the flow of traffic and annoy the picnickers.

The most needed facility on the beaches is public toilets. Many people would be willing to build such toilets on a self-help basis.

The Karachi Development Authority (now defunct) had built a beautiful park at Paradise Point in 1996. It lies in shambles thanks to the neglect of the agency concerned. The cement benches have vanished. The beautiful mushroom covers providing shade and shelter are in a dilapidated condition.

Picnickers pestered by the hot sun have nowhere to seek shelter against the heat but to cool themselves in the sea. The provision of shaded places at crowd-pulling points is a necessity. So is the provision of drinking water. The few kiosks and individuals selling refreshments charge high and give low- quality items.

Kazim Ali suggests that these spots should have other recreational facilities at the picnic spots. “There should be a zoo, parks with swings and slides for children and other entertainment areas all along the coast,” he says and adds that this will thin out the crowds converging on the beaches all the day.

As elsewhere, police extortion is common on these beaches. They do not care if people violate the imposition of Section 144. Their special targets are youngsters and young couples. They may not allow people packed in pick-ups to cross the stones lined to block traffic, but government officials and other influentials find no section a no-go area and drive past the roadblocks. Police extortion needs to be curbed to make them enforce the law and the visitors to feel at ease. But this should not compromise the enforcement of safety measures. The main problem arises when people do not respect the law and shrug off advice. A lot has to be done to educate people on how to use the beaches.

The strip of land that once attracted people because of its unusual round hole with waves pushing through has partly vanished. The remaining portion is also in danger of collapsing. But families with women and small children stroll on it and some even encamp on it and thus take a big risk.

Neelum Point and Cape Montze are off-limits for the public these days, as mentioned earlier, families trek to these spots. A couple of camel riders are always present there to welcome them.

“This strip is a death trap,” says lifeguard Laal Bakhsh pointing to the two adjoining beaches of Neelum Point and Cape Montze. “But people don’t listen to us.”

“Sometimes our men use a long rope to keep the crowds back at Hawkesbay,” says Zafar, an officer in the fire brigade department, “but youngsters cross this line also.” He says lifeguards are sometimes pushed about, abused and beaten up by groups of revellers when they are asked not to venture into the sea.

Finally, can a drowning person be saved?

Many experts say that a drowning person takes hardly a couple of minutes to perish and no help is possible during that brief period.

The Edhi Foundation, however, sees an answer in the four boats it is importing from China this month. Rizwan Edhi says that the boats will not only help people along the beaches but would also rescue fishermen stranded on the high seas.

Laal Bakhsh insists saving drowning people is possible if a well-trained lifeguard is available at the time. “Through the watch towers, we spot the people in danger. The man in the tower whistles to his colleges below. Using the rip-tide to our advantage, we can reach the victim within a couple of minutes and help him out. The inflatable jackets may make the task easier.”

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Without driving people away from the beaches, ways should be found to dissuade them from going into the water where there is even the slightest of danger.

In case of emergency
A recent visit to the Emergency Response Centre showed that at 11am, there was no power supply, and thus the wireless system was not operational. Which meant that if an officer with a mobile phone was not there, the ERC would not be able to communicate with its parent department or any other needed person.

“There has been no power since 4pm,” said Nazeer, a staffer. “Sometimes we do not have electricity for as long as three days. Wire thieves take away large chunks of overhead cables, leaving us high and dry,” he says and adds: “a battery for running the system will cost only a few hundred rupees. We had requisitioned such a battery six months ago, but it has not been provided to us yet.”

The centre also does not have water and gas supply, but these are things that can be arranged as and when needed.

Since the ERC uses a public address system to warn people against entering the sea, a small generator is an urgent need of the ERC. Despite these problems, the ERC is like an oasis in the desert for people visiting the beaches.

The whistle is the only means of communication among the lifeguards. If armed with walkie-talkies, they can function in a far better way. —N.A

Born to swim
“Mama,” exclaimed a young visitor at a beach. “What are those children doing in the rough sea. And what is that pair far away up to? Is there nobody to stop them from going that far?” he cried fearing for the youngsters in the water.

“Don’t worry about them,” said a young man putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder to allay his fears. “They are the sons of fishermen and are good swimmers. No untoward incident has ever taken place here before.”

With their small boats lined on the beach at a corner of Abdur Rahman Goth, these men seemed to be the actual owners of the vast sea. They do not know how to drown. They may save a drowning person if they happen to be nearby. But they are scared of touching a dead body. Because they know they don’t have the time the police inquiries require which are part of such an incident.

The Goth, a small village of fishermen lacking even the basic amenities, is somewhere between Paradise Point and Hawkesbay proper. Seeing that there are rich occupiers of private huts as well as the middle class holiday-makers, the village indeed is an “island of poverty on the sea of affluence”, as Martin Luther King Jr once said.

Thatched houses, broken walls with fishing nets hung on them, depict the abject poverty these fishermen live in. There seems to have been no progress for centuries here.

Fishing is their only means of living is fishing. The sail out to sea in the morning and return in the afternoon with the catch ready to sell it to a contractor. Their area of operation is limited. They do not recognize a ban on fishing during the hatching season. “If we don’t fish, what will we have for a living?” says Ali.

They have a lot of complaints against the fisheries department for not extending them the assistance they deserve.

Transport is scarce. People needing medical help have to suffer endlessly as there is no transport to take them to the city hospitals. “Pregnant women suffer immensely,” says Nasir.

But their main concern is drinking water. “A water tanker costs us from Rs800 to Rs1,000,” says Laal Bakhsh, the lifeguard, guide and social worker. “Occasionally, some tanker driver gives us water for free. But to get a bucketful, we have to line up our containers to be filled one by one by the driver.”

Most houses do not have storage tanks. So they have to share water with others.

Inquiries show that a line supplying water to Kanupp passes by the village. If a small quantity of it is diverted to the village, it will not affect the supply to Kanupp and its residential houses. —N.A

Civic negligence
On an average, 250 people die in drowning incidents across the country every year. Most people perish while seeking respite from the summer heat. They may drown while fishing or enjoying a swim in the sea, a river, a lake or a canal. But there are people who may die due to the negligence of a civic agency. For instance, many lives have been claimed by uncovered manholes and ditches. And at least two of these tragedies in Karachi involved blind men.

To illustrate how our civic agencies behave irresponsibly, a recent incident may be quoted. Thirty-year-old Pathani drowned on July 19 in a channel supplying water to Karachi. A resident of Dumba Goth, in Gaddap, she was reportedly doing her washing near an opening in the conduit. While getting up, she fell into the opening. Her body was recovered after seven days in a decomposed state. Washing along the canals supplying water to Karachi is common. But nobody cares to prevent people from polluting the water and also risking their lives. —N.A

Popular Beaches
Tall, red rocks jut out into the sea. Series of huge waves roll in with a growing sizzling sound and crash against the solid rocks with a thud. The impact sends up columns of sparkling water. If you happen to be standing on the right time at the right place behind the sandstone rocks, you will relish the feel of a gentle drizzle.

Move closer to the water and another surprise awaits you. The beach is lined with piles of pebbles — round, oval, flat, triangular, square and in every other possible shape. So beautiful are the small stones that you might be tempted to pocket a few pieces for decoration at home. This beach is different from the other ones.

Known as the Phakora Beach it is nextdoor to the Gadani shipbreaking yard. As it is not easily accessible and not developed the beach remains unspoiled. It can be approached by the road leading towards the shipbreaking area. But on the way, as lengths of the road are buried under sand dunes, a first time visitor might have trouble in finding his way around.

A few kilometres from Phakora is the Gadani picnic point, about 50 kilometres from Karachi via Hub River Road. It is well developed unlike the series of beaches on the Hawkesbay side, which do not have facilities for the public. If you are visiting it after a few years’ interval, you will find fresh additions to the place.

Boats are anchored in a walled area jetty. The boatsmen are forever ready to take you on the sea for a cruise. They do not have fixed rates and strictly follow the demand-and-supply theory. On holidays, they have plenty of passengers and on weekdays just a handful.

Nearly 11 square-shaped shelters stand in a row. Families may hire them for Rs50 to Rs100 to sit, sprawl and have refreshments. Besides, there are shacks and thatched huts of various sizes available at nominal charges. A park with benches and shady trees is also available to the public. Half a dozen public toilets have been built and more are coming up. The canteen also charges normal rates for cold drinks, tea, snacks and other refreshments. “People offer us money when they take water from the canteen, but we refuse it. Water is free,” said a staffer of the canteen.

Seaview is developed for short time visitors as it is within the city. There are benches on cemented steps and nearby are refreshments outlets which charge a little extra than the normal rates. Most visitors come here in the evening. On weekends and holidays, the crowds swell and the hustle and bustle continues into the small hours. Searchlights directed towards the sea make the foaming waves more delightful. Beyond the casino building, Clifton Beach sits in darkness and becomes deserted after the sunset. During the day also people prefer to visit the adjoining Seaview. Unfortunately, these twin beaches are heavily polluted.

Manora Beach is also a great attraction for picnickers looking for a resort nearer home. An overcrowded boat at Keamari may take 15 minutes and as many rupees to ferry a passenger across. The boats are usually in very bad condition with uncomfortable seating planks. Their captains do not budge them until they overflow with passengers.

When on it, you will have to trek or take a pickup to cover a kilometre-long distance to the beach. Close to the beach is a lighthouse and a Hindu temple. Both are in a ruined state and no longer in use.

Once it was an island. Now it is linked with the city with a road passing through Sandspit Beach, which is famous for hatching and breeding green and olive Ridley turtles.

Down the beach towards Hawkesbay, several places are known with their private hut numbers. Hawkesbay is the pivotal point on this stretch. It is named after Bladen Wilmour Hawke. He was the first to build a hut here in the early 1930s to keep his ailing wife in seclusion at the healthful spot. Important, connecting beaches include Kanupp Beach, which is divided into two beautiful crescent-shaped beaches. On the other side of the Kanupp premises is Paradise Point. Next to it are two conjoined arcs called Neelum Point and Cape Monze.

Farther ahead is French Beach, reserved for foreign tourists and local VIPs. Beyond it is an area under the control of the Pakistan Navy. It is called Nathiagalli and it is off-limits to the public.

Sonehra Point is in the jurisdiction of Maripur police station, near the Hubco power plant in Balochistan territory. Though it’s called Sonehra it is known for its changing colours.

Russian Beach near Port Qasim, on the other end of the city coastline, was developed for the several thousand Soviet engineers and technicians who worked in the Pakistan Steel Mills in its initial years. Now it exclusively serves the PSM bureaucracy and their families.

Experts contend that our beaches are as beautiful as any around the world but what we lack in is a beach culture. —N.A

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