The Goa Government is mulling a law to ban “drunken swimming” off its beaches, State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Thursday.
The Minister's statement came a few hours after two students, including a girl from Ahmedabad, who were holidaying in Goa drowned at Candolim Beach, early on Thursday morning.
“I will seriously take up the issue with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to enact a law that will act as a strong deterrent against those venturing into the sea for swimming while under the influence of alcohol,” Ajgaonkar said in a statement.
“Incidents of deaths due to drowning on the beaches of Goa will bring a bad repute to the State and all agencies, including the Department of Tourism, have to act responsibly,” he said.
The action has to be tough, if required, to ensure the safety of tourists, the Minister added.
Ajgaonkar said that until the law was formally in place, an Ordinance could also be promulgated before the tourism season starts in October.
The Department of Tourism has been directed to instruct all shack operators along the beaches to erect sign-boards cautioning tourists from venturing into the sea in an “intoxicated condition”, Ajgaonkar said.
There was need to enhance awareness of the dangers of swimming under the influence of alcohol.
This is the third incident of drowning in last one week on Candolim-Calangute Beach.
“Two students from Mudra Institute of Communication from Ahmedabad who were part of a group of 47 students holidaying in Goa drowned at Candolim Beach,” said Calangute police.
“The students had come to Goa along with faculty for a study tour. Six of them went to swim on Candolim beach at around 3 am. Around 3.30 am two students namely Anuja Susan and Gurram Chenchu Sai were pulled inside the water due to a strong wave,” police said.
23-year-old Anuja's body was washed ashore immediately and was then taken to a Primary Health Centre at Candolim where she was declared brought dead, police said.
At around 9 am the body of second student who is 25-year-old was fished out of the sea water.